Bittersweet
by goldengirl0703
Summary: Senior year is about to start for Cindy and while she's finally ready to let a certain someone from her past go, he pops up and changes everything.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys! Here I am with another story! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.

Bittersweet

It was the Friday before a new school year and I was currently waiting for Libby to finish up trying on the 1000th blouse of the day while also getting lectured for waiting til the last minute to do back-to-school shopping.

"Girl, senior year starts in 3 days, I can't believe you procrastinated this much with going shopping, ugh we're going to be here til closing time at this rate.. And they close in 8 hours!"

"Libs, we'll be fine. I really don't need that much new stuff anyway, just a new pair of vans and maybe a new skirt who knows," I couldn't blame Libby for being frustrated with me, shopping used to be our escape. Even if we were low on funds, we'd still go to the mall and at least try stuff on, so the fact that I didn't do hardly any shopping over summer break was a little weird. But could she really blame me? With college applications around the corner and my part-time job, I've been really stressed. I guess in a way she's right though, shopping is my sweet escape. A day with my best friend doing what we love, this is just what I needed.

"Just a new skirt and shoes? Girl no. This is senior year, we're going all out, it's a damn good thing you've been working so much. Hey by the way how's that going? You said you guys were short-staffed which is why you've been working almost 40 hours, what is Drew gonna do when school starts and you can't work that much?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I heard he hired someone over a webcam interview on Wednesday, I guess he's moving here on Sunday and attending Retroville High, I can't remember if Drew said he was our age or a year younger and I didn't catch his name. But that will be a big help once he catches on to how things run."

"Yeah I hope so, when I quit back in May for my internship Drew made it seem like he had already found a replacement, but hey at least you and everyone else was able to save up some money? Meanwhile my unpaid internship makes my wallet want to cry."

"Hey you're the one who wants to be a music producer, you weren't happy waiting tables like the rest of us."

As she and I finished our shopping day and headed home, I was actually feeling really good about the upcoming school year. I had found quite a few nice things at the mall and I was excited to showcase them next week. _This would be the 5th year without him, no Vortex you do this every year, stop._

"Hey Cin, something bothering you?"

"Huh? Oh no, I'm fine Libs, I just um kind of have a headache, I think I'm gonna go in and go to bed early."

"Girl, you know I know you better than anyone, it's okay. I know you're thinking about him, and I know it's the 5th anniversary since _he_ moved, but honey-"

"I know okay, I know. I don't want to hear for the 5th year in a row that I need to let _him_ go and just move on. Okay, I get it. I do need to move on but I can't. I don't know why I can't but I can't."

"Okay Cin, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lashed out like that"

"No I get it, listen if you ever want to talk about it I'm here"

"Thanks Libs, I appreciate it"

"Love you Cin"

After my day with Libby, a nice hot bath and my favorite dinner of homemade lasagna was exactly what I needed. As frustrating and overbearing as my mom is, she's a damn good cook.

I went to bed that night reminiscing about adventures to foreign places and planets and a certain whippy-dip headed genius.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: When I wrote started writing this story, I figured it was better as two chapters instead of one long one-shot. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.

Bittersweet Ch 2: The Return

The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for my karate lesson. For most people, Saturday is the day they get to relax and sleep in, but for me Saturday is my busiest day. With karate, tai chi, chores and homework, I hardly have time for anything else. I've always been pretty busy, I like it that way, I'm used to life being that way. Growing up, my mom put me in all kinds of various extracurricular activities to make sure I was "more well-rounded than the other kids". I always had to be the best, even when a certain genius lived across the street and got the best grades, I was somehow expected to do better than _him._ That's one thing I don't miss too much about him: the competition and stress of trying to be better. I had to try and win a losing battle just to please my mother. Since he moved away though, my relationship with my mother has never been better, she's relaxed quite a bit and doesn't worry about me being the best. She's got a new boyfriend who occupies her thoughts and worries. Now it's just me who worries about being the best, after so many years of being conditioned to compete and outshine everybody else, I have a natural drive for it. I have a black belt, I'm an excellent pianist, my grades are stellar, and I'm in the running for Cheer Captain this year. Being the best is what I do: I'm a Vortex.

As Saturday evening approached, I realized I didn't have any plans. I decided that a night to myself after such a crazy day would actually be perfect. I put on my favorite pair of running shorts and a comfy t-shirt along with my Nike's and set out for a nice run around my neighborhood. I had The Killers blasting in my headphones and after just five minutes I felt myself really relaxing and giving into the adrenaline rush. It wasn't until I reached the Candy Bar that I felt my body getting tired so I decided to stop in and grab a bottle of water. Once I walked in, I was greeted by the three familiar faces I've grown accustomed to calling my best friends. I slid into the booth next to Carl and listened to Sheen talking about how "stoked he was for his final football season". Sheen's hyperactive nature proved to be a great asset as he got older. His nonstop energy made him the perfect candidate for a football player and he's been the star of the team since Freshman year. Carl, on the other hand is a great lacrosse player. In fact, he started the team and is now the captain, he lost a bunch of weight and has become quite a player among the girls in Retroville. Libby of course, is still the same music-obsessed girl she's always been, she and I are cheerleaders and used to work together at Firestone Grill, but she quit. These dorks used to annoy the hell out of me, except Libby, but now they're an extension of my family, of who I am. They've always been there for me through everything; through _him_ moving away, through my dad passing away, through my mom and her endless string of boyfriends. They've been great.

Sunday rolled around and I had a long shift at work, I was working 9-6 through the brunch and lunch rush and part of dinner. I've been working there for a little over a year and it's been very good to me, it's a successful restaurant here in Retroville so I've made pretty good money in tips so far. The Sunday brunch rush is notorious for being a heavy money-making day so I'm grateful that I always work it. Today was also supposed to be the day that the guy Drew hired over Skype was supposed to come in and get a tour of the restaurant and meet all of us who work in the front of the house. I have to say, I'm excited. I heard from some of the hostesses who saw him during his interview that he was really cute, so this could be fun, it would be the perfect opportunity to finally get my mind off _him_.

"Cindy, come here to the break room when you get a chance, there's someone I want you to meet!"

That was the second time Drew had told me to go to the break room, it's not my fault I have a full section and can't take a quick break, ugh now I'm irritated. Perfect way to introduce myself to the new guy too. Great.

I finally got a chance to sneak back there and I swear my jaw dropped to the floor, not only was he gorgeous, but he was _him._

I walked in and was speechless. He was standing there talking to Drew when I walked in, I was so fixated on him that I didn't notice that I was walking right into the bus boy holding a bus tub of dirty dishes and utensils. What broke me out of my trance was the sound of crashing dishes and falling forks and knives onto the ground. I immediately came back into the present moment and bent down to help Joseph pick everything up and didn't see that _he_ was helping until we reached for the same spoon at the same time and I grabbed his hand by mistake. I looked up and my green eyes were met by a pair of cerulean blue.

"Jimmy"

It came out almost as whisper it was so faint, I didn't even need an introduction to know who it was. I knew those eyes.

"Cin-"

He couldn't even finish what he was saying because I got up and ran out. I could hear Drew and Jimmy calling after me but all I needed was to get out and just clear my head.

A/N: There's the second chapter! Hope you guys like it! Let me know if you want me to continue it!

By the way, 'front of the house' means everyone who doesn't work back in the kitchen of the restaurant (ie hostess, servers, bussers, etc)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the third chapter of Bittersweet, I also uploaded a third chapter to Study Time if you guys are following that! I hope you guys like it!

Bittersweet Ch 3:

Lovely day for a walk

It was only 4 in the afternoon when I had run outside to get away from the chaotic mess that was my new coworker. As the summer sun shone down on me, a thousand thoughts were swarming around in my mind, first what was he doing here? Is he moving back home? Why? What happened to his amazing new life in Philadelphia? Why didn't he tell anyone he was coming back? And most importantly.. Why didn't he say goodbye when he left? I started walking without a destination and somehow ended up at the park. I saw an empty bench near the pond so I sat down and ran my hands through my hair. I forgot I was still in my work uniform, I took off my apron and set it next to me and thought back to the moment he left..

 _"Cynthia! Don't you want to come down and say goodbye to your friend? The Neutron's are packing up their car!" My mom was yelling up to my room as I sat by my window watching the boy I liked put suitcase after suitcase into a moving van. He didn't even say goodbye. We all stood there the day before outside the Candy Bar expecting goodbye hugs and tear-filled goodbye speeches but all we got was a wave and a see ya later. So now, just a day later watching him pack up his life and ship out halfway across the country, I'm feeling an entire plethora of emotions. I'm devastated that the only person who challenges me is deserting me, I'm disappointed he'll never know how I really feel about him and I'm not ready to let him go, I'm scared.._

Now, five years later, he still is the only person to ever challenge me, in every aspect too. He challenges me intellectually, emotionally, and physically, even though I'm a black belt he has shown on countless adventures that he is a worthy adversary. I'm still disappointed that I didn't get closure that day. I didn't tell him how I feel nor did I ever find out if he ever felt the same. I'm also still not ready to let him go. Five years I've spent wasted. I never let myself move on, I stayed trapped in a past that was long gone. I never lost hope for a future that included him and when such a future finally came, what did I do? I ran away. I'm so scared, which isn't like me at all. I'm a Vortex, and Vortexes don't get scared. But when it comes to him, I'm terrified. He has the power to break me, and I don't like anyone having that power over me. Ugh. Maybe I'm making a mistake, after all these years it would be nice to get some answers as to why he left the way he did, I guess I'd better go back to work and talk to him after all.

As I gathered my things and picked up my apron to go back to work, I didn't see the person approaching me until they were right in front of me.

"Hey" his voice was enchanting, I almost didn't know what to do.

"Um hey look I-"

"No stop, it's okay, I get why you ran out like that. Fotr me to leave the way I did and then show up unannounced five years later was a shitty thing for me to do. I'm sorry"

"Um, thanks I guess. Yeah it certainly wasn't the best goodbye I'll give you that," I tried to manage a little bit of nervous laughter to try and lighten the mood but it wasn't helping much, feeling his blue eyes bore into me made my skin crawl in all the best ways. It was definitely a feeling I wasn't used to.

"Cindy-"

"Wait, before you spit out some bs, I just want to know why. Why did you leave all of us like that? Why did you leave Sheen and Carl hanging like that? Why did you leave me like that? Didn't we, didn't I deserve more?"

"Cindy, yes of course are you kidding me! Leaving this town, Sheen and Carl, most importantly you, was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Cindy-"

The whole time he was talking I was just taking him in. He had certainly grown up in these last few years, thank god for puberty. He was now much taller than I was, to be fair I wasn't super tall, but I was around 5'4" so he had to be around 5'11"-6'. I was shocked. His voice was deeper, rougher, I could listen to him talk all day. His hair was styled nice, I'm glad yet strangely sad to see his whippy-dip days are behind him. But I suppose a lot of things are behind him these days. His eyes are what get me every time. Those same eyes I was nearly in love with at such a young age, the same eyes who caused me to cause a scene at work today. The same eyes who broke my heart. Before I realized what was going on, he stopped talking, he placed both of his hands on the sides of my face and pulled me in closer to him. Slowly he lowered his lips onto mine, I would've sworn my face was on fire. My hands found their place on his wrists holding his hands in place as I kissed him back. We stood there locked in eachother's embrace. When I reluctantly pulled away, I would've bet money that I could see the stars dancing in his eyes and it was only 4:30pm.

"Cindy.. I'm so sorry for leaving the way I did, for a genius I'm not very bright when it comes to people skills, you of all people should know that," I couldn't help but giggle at that last part, "I just want you to know how sorry I am. It broke my heart to leave you. I never got to tell you how I feel. Cindy for years I-"

"Jimmy? Jimmy Neutron? Oh my goodness is that you?"

A/N: Stay tuned to find out who our new mystery guest is!


	4. Chapter 4

Bittersweet Ch 4: The Punishment

A/N: Hey guys! Here I am with another chapter! I hope you guys like it!

"Jimmy? Jimmy Neutron? Oh my goodness is that you?"

And just like that, my dream come true became a twisted nightmare. Betty freaking Quinlan in all her glory stood there with an evil smile plastered across her face. Betty and I never did get along, she knew the complicated past Jimmy and I shared and she was always jealous of that. I was just nervous for how Jimmy was going to react to her. Growing up he loved her, he had dozens of pictures of her inside the lab when we were younger. I hope he doesn't still have those.

"Holy Heisenberg! Betty?"

God I couldn't watch as he let go of my waist and went up to her and wrapped her up in a hug. Well, I'm gonna vomit.

I decided my time was best spent away from this wonderful reunion so I decided to walk away. Better get back to work, I guess.

When I made it back to work, it was almost 5, I found Drew almost immediately. I'm just really lucky that he likes me and that this is the first time I've ever done anything out of the ordinary, but that doesn't mean I'm off the hook. He gave me a stern look and said, "In my office Vortex, now." Maybe I'm in more trouble than I thought.

As I followed him into the office, I could feel the eyes of everyone in the restaurant peering right at me. Ugh this is not gonna be good. We walked in, I took a seat across from his desk and waited anxiously for my punishment.

"Vortex, what the hell was that?"

"Umm, I uhh.. I don't know.."

"You don't know? You bumped into Joseph breaking half a dozen plates and cups, looked at Jimmy who was helping you clean up I might add and instead of thanking him, you ran away. What the hell was that about? Where have you been for the last hour anyway? I sent him to go find you but now here you are and he's nowhere to be found. Poor guy doesn't know his way around, he's probably lost. Ugh sending a new kid out on a wild goose chase probably wasn't the best idea on my part though. But seriously Vortex, what has gotten into you?"

"Drew, I-I'm sorry. And wait, you think Jimmy is new here? He grew up here, I've known him since we were kids, he lived right across the street from me for years. He moved away five years ago but now he's back. He knows his way around Retroville, in fact he's with an old "friend" right now." I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough at the end of what I said and I was shocked to learn that Drew didn't know much about Jimmy and his past.

"He grew up here? Huh he made it sound like he didn't know where anything was and that he wanted someone to show him around, I suggested you and he loved the idea, that's why I kept calling you to the break room."

"That bastard.. Are you going to keep having him work here after today?"

"What? Of course I am, are you kidding? Having him still work here will be part of your punishment for today. Now that I know you're both acquainted, you're both going to be working the closing shift every weekend for the next month, plus dish duty. Have fun showing him how things run!" I wanted to slap the evil grin right off his face, ugh so much for liking me and giving me an easy punishment.

A/N: Sorry it was kind of short, next chapter begins with them starting school and their 'punishment'!


	5. Chapter 5

Bittersweet Ch 5

A/N: Hey guys! I'm here with another chapter! I also uploaded a one-shot a few days ago called The Wedding Crasher, it's a JN fanfic of course! I hope you guys check it out, any criticism is appreciated! I can't thank you guys enough for reviewing on my stories so far. It means so much to me!

Chapter 5: New School Year Means New Challenges

I stared at myself in my bedroom mirror. Senior year. Now that he's back, I guess I'm not going to be valedictorian after all. Ugh mom will be so proud, I thought as I rolled my eyes. I adjusted my skirt one last time and head out the door. I'm not usually one to care too much about my appearance, I have better things to concern my time with. However, Libby would not let me leave my house unless I had on an outfit that she picked out. Apparently, 'It's the first day and we're seniors so we have to make a good impression. What we wear today defines our whole year,' or some bs like that. I've grown up with my classmates since elementary school, they know me and who I am, why do I need to make an impression now? I'm pretty sure I've already done that in the last 12 years. I'd never tell her this because she'd never let me forget, but I did look really nice. She picked out this blush colored corduroy skirt I forgot I had with a white crop top and let me borrow a pair of matching champagne colored sandals. That, combined with my hair being styled and curled, I looked really nice. I felt pretty as I hopped in Libby's car, although by the time we arrived at school I almost had a headache from all the loud self-praising she was doing for picking out 'such a fantastic, stylish outfit' for me. I couldn't help but smile and laugh though, at the end of the day, she's always looking out for me and my best interests.

As we pulled into a parking space, I could see Jimmy getting out of his car a few aisles down, I quickly felt a blush rising to my cheeks so I turned away, but unfortunately that ended up being in Libby's direction and she immediately hounded me with all sorts of questions. I answered as many as I could being as vague as I could in the short time that we had left before class started. I told her about the 'punishment' that Drew gave us, I told her about the Quinlan incident, leaving out the part where he kissed me of course, and told her that I hadn't talked to him since I saw him in the park, which was true. Lucky for me, I got a new phone number last year and as far as I know, Neutron doesn't have it, I'd like to keep it that way. He's only been back in my life for less than 24 hours and he already occupies most of my thoughts, I can't have it escalate further than that. Plus, I'm sure he's all ga-ga for Miss I'm So Perfect and Beautiful so I'm sure we won't have a problem. Today, I plan on acting like yesterday never happened.

Spoke too soon.

"Cindy!" I'd know that voice anywhere, even though he yelled my name across the parking lot and I could hear him perfectly fine, I decided the best course of action was to pretend that I didn't and keep on walking toward the building with Libby.

"Vortex, I know you can hear me."

Dammit. Just to shut him up, I finally turned around. Even though there were butterflies in my stomach, I tried to plaster as much animosity on my face as I could. I knew it wasn't working.

"What Neutron?"

"Why were you ignoring my calls last night? I called you three times to see what happened last night and why you ran off the way you did but you never answered."

Instead of telling him I got a new number, I played it cool.

"Oh you did? My phone wasn't working last night, I wasn't able to call or text or anything." It was a lie, I knew it was a lie, Libby knew it was a lie and I knew that Jimmy knew it was a lie too.

"Mhmmm sure Vortex. Well Drew called me last night and told me about our 'punishment' for yesterday, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it." He finished his sentence with a wink and walked away. Was he just flirting with me? What the fuck?

"Ummmm what was that?!" Libby exclaimed excitedly. Oh great, what a great way to start the year.

As the day continued, it was not surprising to see that Neutron and I had nearly every class together. I was glad to finally have a break from him and get a clear head when 7th period rolled around. 7th period was the 'active' period as the school liked to call it. All students were required to either take PE or be in a sport of some kind. Libby and I were cheerleaders so we had practice everyday during that time, Sheen did football and cross county, Carl did lacrosse and apparently Jimmy signed up for baseball. Naturally, I got curious and so I went down to the field to watch the baseball team practice during our break and I was very surprised. It seems over the years Neutron actually became very athletic, he was one of the best ones out there! I couldn't help but wonder if his new and improved athleticism was done by science. I tried getting a better look at his equipment to see if they had his signature Neutron atom logo, but I didn't see it. I kind of like the idea of Neutron being more athletic, ugh stop it Vortex. Ugh, god he's only been back a few days and I've already got it bad. Before I knew it, I had spent over 20 minutes watching the baseball team practice. It wasn't until Jimmy walked out of the dugout and came up to me that I realized what I had been doing. As he wiped some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, he said, "So Vortex, missed me already huh? Man I would've thought that after spending all day with me in class that you'd want a break, but I guess I was wrong."

I sat there dumbstruck. Here is this tall, athletic, smart hunk of a guy flirting with me and all I can do is sit there with my mouth open catching flies. When my brain turned back on, I managed to come up with a witty response just in time.

"Actually Nerdtron, I had heard you were on the baseball team and since the news was so incredibly unbelievable, I had to come see it myself."

"Yeah okay Cin, whatever you helps you sleep at night."

He then winked at me again as he walked away back into the dugout, puberty has been very nice to Jame Neutron, I thought as I stood up and headed back towards the gym.

"Where the hell have you been? Break ended 10 minutes ago! We were all worried sick." I heard someone yell in my direction but my eyes were still adjusting from being outside in the sun that I couldn't tell who had said it.

"Oh Nissa, you didn't see? She was drooling over the baseball team," by now my eyes had adjusted and I could see that Brittany was talking to Nissa.

"Not the whole baseball team, one player in particular huh," Libby added as she bumped her elbow into my side. My cheeks flamed up and I immediately got defensive.

"Um no. I had just heard he was on the team and since the idea of that happening seemed so ludicrous, I decided to check it out." The three girls exchanged a few looks but finally just shrugged it off.

"Alright girls! Now that Vortex is back, let's go over our routine for the back to school rally on Friday!"

There was a collection of groans and plays from us all as we got into formation. Even though it was only the first day of school, we have had cheerleading practice all summer. Coach Mellona held tryouts the week before school got out the previous year that way we could practice a little over the summer and be ready by the time school started. As much as I hated summer practices, it was a good idea.

After we ran through our routine two more times without any errors, Coach let us go. It was only 4:00, I had work tonight at 6:00 so I didn't have too much time before I needed to go home and shower/change for work. As Libby and I walked out toward her car, I saw Jimmy and the rest of the team coming out from practice. I had planned on ignoring him since he must've thought I was merely watching the practice just to see him, which I was but he didn't need to know that, however he had other ideas in mind.

"Hey Libby! Do you mind if I give Cindy a ride home?"

"Oh really? Sure that would be perfect! I have to swing by Sheen's anyway, thanks so much Jimmy!"

"Yeah no problem!" Before she walked away, she gave me one last smile and winked. What is with everyone and winking at me today? Ugh they must have planned this, I thought as I rolled my eyes.

"What was that about?" I interrogated him the entire walk to the hover car.

"What?"

"You asking Libby if you could take me home."

"Well I figured we could spend some time together."

"We spent all day together! We now work together and we're neighbors for God's sake! What more do you want?"

He didn't even answer me. All he did was plaster his lips against mine. His snaked one arm around my waist and pulled me closer. I couldn't help but enjoy it for the first few moments until I realized what I was doing. I reluctantly pulled away and got into the hover car. I looked back at him as stealthily as I could but it wasn't good enough.

"I can see you looking at me, you know."

God dammit. My blush was back and redder than ever, I needed to change the subject and quick, I was giving too much away.

"So, how do you like Retroville High so far?"

"You know, normally I wouldn't let you change the subject like this, but since you actually seem somewhat interested, I'll play along," he said as he got into the drivers seat, "Everyone is being really nice and welcoming me back. Even Butch gave me a pat on the back and told me it was nice to see me. It was kinda weird, but I appreciated it, I'm glad to see he's matured."

"Oh yeah, Butch has come a looonnnggg way. Somewhere around 9th grade, he joined the wrestling team and ever since he's been a lot nicer and a lot more patient. I think by getting his anger out really helps a lot. He's even apart of the honor society." That last part made Jimmy's jaw drop, I couldn't help but giggle at his theatrics, at the same time I couldn't blame him though. Butch is a lot different now than he was in elementary school, it would be a big shock for anyone.

"That is really, really impressive. I take it you're president of NHS*?"

"Yes sir, now that you're back I suppose you'll want to try and run, to which I say good luck, but I will win. They love me."

"Yeah I was thinking about it. Why is that a challenge? Because you know I love a good challenge."

"Oh it's on. You remember our old usual wager?"

"Psh. Of course I do. You're on Vortex."

And with that, we shook hands. Right before I was going to pull my hand away, he pulled me in once more, this time for just a quick, chaste kiss. Now it's getting out of hand, I thought as my cheeks began to heat up.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked as if he had just broken the law.

"What? Kiss you?"

"Yes! You say it like its no big deal!"

"Well, I don't know, I want to." With a shrug of his shoulders he started the hover car and we were off. My fingers instinctively reached up and touched my tingling lips. I tried to hide a small side as I looked to the side, it had been so many years since I had ridden in the hover car. I missed it so much.

"I'm so glad you still have this."

"Oh yeah, I've made some modifications too since the last time you were in here. Check this out."

With the quick press of a button, a mechanical arm popped out and gave me a purple flurp. I was beyond impressed.

"Wow Jimmy, this is actually really awesome," I said as I opened the can and took the first sip.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Vortex. Thank you, I was hoping you'd like it."

Ugh damn his and damn his charm for making me blush all the time.

"So, did you and Miss I'm So Perfect And Beautiful have a nice evening together last night?"

"Actually we did. We went out for a nice, romantic dinner, went for a long walk in the park, held hands, we went so far as to plan our wedding." I knew he was being sarcastic, but I was not amused.

"Oh okay, I don't know why you care so much still, but actually all we did was say hi. She asked me how I was, if I moved back or if I was just visiting. I told her I moved back, she seemed happy and asked if I wanted to get a bite to eat sometime and catch up but I turned her down."

"Wait what," it took me a minute to fully process what I had just heard. "You turned Betty Quinlan down? I thought you were like in love with her?"

"Lol Cin, yeah back in 5th grade I had a crush on her, who didn't? But that was 7 years ago. I stopped liking her later in 6th grade anyway. Besides, brunettes aren't really my thing. It's all about the redheads." He looked at me and gave me a big smile. This time I was amused by his sarcasm, against my will a laugh escaped my mouth and soon he and I arrived at our houses in complete hysterics.

I had been so sidetracked with the fact that he was back in Retroville that I didn't even think about the fact that he was living in his old house.

"Wait Neutron, how are you and your family back in your old house? It was never for sale."

"It was my cousin Penny renting it out the whole time. The timing of us coming back and her and George moving out just worked out really really well."

"Oh no shit. I liked Penny a lot, I never would've guessed you guys were cousins."

"Yeah I told her not to tell anyone, I knew everyone in this town had a certain opinion towards me and I didn't want that to ruin their opinion of her."

"Oh. That's uh, that's really nice of you."

"Yeah well, I gotta get inside so I can shower and change before I go to work. I'm training under some crazy blonde bitch or something." I stood there with my jaw to the pavement as I watched him walk inside. Great.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my two trouble makers. Cindy. Jimmy. Because it is a school night, I can't keep you here 'til closing. So you're both off at 9. Jim, you're shadowing Cindy, so whatever she says, do it. Cindy, that does not mean he's your slave. We don't need a repeat of what happened with Armando." That was all we got from Drew, no 'Hello, how was your first day of school?' Ugh I should've expected this. As Jimmy and I walked toward the front of the restaurant to grab our aprons, I could see how busy it was. Luck was on my side tonight, I thought as I grabbed my apron. I handed Jimmy a new apron and and server's book and showed him what our section was going to be. After going over table numbers, we got to work.

I'd be lying if I said that shift was easy. That was one of the hardest shifts I've ever worked. Not only were we packed all night, but I couldn't focus with Jimmy standing so close behind me. So many times throughout the night he'd brush up against me or whisper something too

close to my ear which sent shivers down my spine. He knew what he was doing and I was not having it. I decided that tonight I'll let him have his fun, but two can play this game. And lucky for me, I never lose.

A/N: So there's chapter 5! What do you guys think? :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron, but I do own Matt!

Bittersweet Ch 6:

Playing the Game

The next day I made sure I looked irresistible, this was war after all. War against James Isaac Neutron. I wore a skirt again, however today this skirt is much shorter than the one I wore yesterday. Normally I wouldn't wear this skirt out in public, but drastic times call for drastic measures. This was a short denim skirt, I paired it with a nice flowy white blouse and white sandals. I had some jewelry on today as well. I chose my favorite pair of earrings, they were longer and dangled from my earlobes, I liked the way the fake diamonds shimmered when I turned my head or moved. I had my hair curled again and even put on some makeup. Makeup was a rarity for me; unless it was a special occasion, I didn't wear too much of it. However, today was an exception, I pulled out all the stops for this. I had curled my eyelashes and put on some mascara along with some eyeshadow. I chose some natural earthy tones like Browns and golds because they always made my green eyes pop. To really put the icing on the cake, I put on some lip gloss. I felt fierce and ready to take on the day/Neutron.

When Libby arrived at my house, her jaw dropped and I laughed at her dramatics.

"Cin, you look amazing! I love the way you did your makeup!"

"Thanks Libs, ready to go?" I asked as I opened the passenger door and slid in to her car.

"Yeah let's get going... So, who ya trying to impress? Jimmy?"

She asked as she gave me a sly grin.

"Um no. Why would you think that?"

"Because look at you! Perfume, makeup, curled hair, you look amazing. But I know you only do this when you're trying to get something, so what are you trying to get?"

"Victory Libby. Sweet, sweet victory."

"Whatever that means."

By then we had pulled up to the school, I tried to subtly look for Nerdtron without making it obvious to Libby, but unfortunately someone else saw my wandering eyes.

"He's not here yet, he's on his way though." Sheen interjected.

"Who?" I asked trying to seem innocent.

"Um Jimmy, duh. Who else are you going to dress up like that for?"

"Ummm myself!"

"Mhmmmmm" this time Sheen and Libby answered at the same time.

As we walked to our respective first period classes I couldn't help but be excited for Jimmy to see me.

"Hi Mrs. Robbins, I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's okay Mr. Neutron, just take your seat next to Ms. Vortex."

"Hey Cin-wow.. You look-You look amazing Cindy."

Ugh damn my cheeks and their inability to control the urge to blush.

"Oh this? It's nothing.. Thank you though." I tried to be as cool and collected as I could. I was secretly feeling really proud of myself, so far mission accomplished.

As the day continued, I noticed Jimmy trying to steal a few glances in my direction, at lunch he even sat next to me and complimented my perfume. I was loving every minute of it. A few other guys in our grade had also noticed my exceptional appearance and commented on it, which I could tell drove him crazy. While we were all talking during lunch, Matt came up to me and told me my legs looked amazing. Actually, I believe his exact words were, "Cindy you look incredible in that skirt. Your legs are sexy as hell. You free this weekend?"

As he talked to me, I could feel Jimmy tense up and I had expected him to be a little jealous based on his flirtatious behavior yesterday, but what I didn't expect was what came out of his mouth. As he put his arm around me, he told Matt, "Oh yeah sorry, we have plans this weekend." I was so shell-shocked I couldn't even say anything back to argue. Part of me was jumping for joy while the other part wanted to crawl in a hole and bury myself for the rest of the day. When I regained my composure I snapped my head toward Jimmy and began the interrogation, "What the hell was that?"

"What?"

"We have plans this weekend? What the fuck?"

"Honey we have work, did you forget? Because I've really been looking forward to it." As he whispered that last part in my ear, I could feel the goosebumps and shivers going down my entire body. Fuck. My plan was going great this morning, but now, not so much. I've got to really step my flirting game and let him have it.

"Oh of course.. Yeah I'm really looking forward to that too," I said as my hand rested on his knee, I also decided to let my hand 'accidentally' wander a little farther up his leg. I could feel him immediately tense up, perfect.

The bell rang soon after, only one more class before 7th, I thought as I grabbed my bag and headed to class. Jimmy and I had this class together of course, so he caught up with me and grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him.

"What the hell was that?"

"What now Jimmy?" I asked innocently as I batted my eyelashes and pursed my lips.

"Umm, your wandering hand back in the cafeteria. That mini skirt is bad enough, but now you're grabbing my junk. You're gonna give me a fuckin boner in the middle of the school day!" I wanted to laugh so bad at that. I loved the effect I was having on him.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," As I finished my sentence I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. With that, I turned around and continued on my way to class.

I obviously got there before he did so I had time to take my seat and relax before he arrived. When he walked in he looked completely dumbstruck. His mouth was open slightly and his eyes were wide. I have never felt so proud and victorious.

"Mr. Walker, do you mind if I talk to Cindy for just a quick moment out in the hall?"

"Just for a quick moment, we need to get started."

"No problem."

I was nervous. What the fuck was he doing? Why was Mr. Walker allowing this? Mr. Walker was notorious for being a hardass on his students, he didn't put up with much, ugh it's probably just because Jimmy's a genius. He's been getting special treatment from everyone since he came back. I begrudgingly got out of seat and walked toward the door and followed Jimmy out into the hall.

"What is it Neutron?" This time I didn't hide behind some act of innocence, no this time I hid my nervousness behind of a veil of annoyance. He didn't even respond, he just pressed his body against mine and pushed me against the wall. He planted his lips on mine and pulled me in. Without thinking, I let a moan slip which only led him to have his hand around my neck as he trailed kisses down my jaw, saying something about "how I was teasing him" and whatnot. I couldn't really pay attention.

"We'll continue this discussion later Miss Vortex," he said as he pulled away and dragged me back into class. I don't know how I managed to pull myself together and hide my blush, but I did. At least in this class, he didn't sit right next to me. The entire class period I sat there daydreaming about a certain genius and before I knew it, I was saved by the bell. Time for cheer practice, at least I'll be able to focus better there, I thought as I gathered my things and started to walk out of class. I felt a hand on the bottom of my back and I looked up to see Jimmy at my side, "I'll see you after practice, and don't change out of your uniform," he said as he winked at me and walked off. He always left me speechless.

As practice wore on, the more excited I got to see Jimmy afterwards. I hated that I was thinking about him, but I couldn't help it.

When Coach finally let us go, I was one of the first ones out the gym, I didn't realize I was in such a hurry until Libby caught up to me and said something.

"Girl what is with you? Why are you in such a hurry? Need I remind you that I drove you to school this morning?" Oh shit, that's right.

"Huh? Oh I didn't realize I was.. Guess I was just happy to be out of practice!" We both knew it was a lie, but she didn't press me any further because Sheen walked up and started talking to her about some Ultralord convention or something. I didn't pay attention too much, my focus was on a certain brown haired genius who was currently talking to Betty Quinlan. Well, so much for that, maybe they have a thing going on after all.. But then why would he kiss me and flirt with me so much? Ugh I hate this. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't realize where I was going and I almost walked into a pole, wow that could've been bad. It still wouldn't have hurt as much as it did when I looked up and saw Betty pull Jimmy down into a kiss. Thank god I was at Libby's car by then, and that I had her keys, I quickly opened the door and sat down. I was thankful to see her and Sheen kissing in the rear view mirror, that meant I had a few seconds to digest what I saw before Libby finished up. She probably saw what happened too, and she'll probably want to talk about my 'feelings' or something ridiculous like that.

What I wasn't prepared for was the knocking on my window by the genius himself.

"Can I help you?" I asked as I rolled down the window.

"Um yes, actually you can. But you have to come out here."

"Shouldn't you be making out with Quinlan?"

"No." I didn't really know what to say back.. What kind of game was he playing here? I thought I knew what game he was playing, and I'm great at that game, but this.. This is something new for me and I'm not sure I like it.

"Well, either way, I'm waiting for Libby. I need to get home, I have work soon."

"Um, no you don't. I work there too now and I have the same schedule as you this since you're training me and I happen to know we are off until Friday." Dammit.

"So? I have two jobs."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really, so if you'll excuse me, I need to-"

"Oh for God's sake girl get your ass out of the car and talk to the boy!" I flinched at Libby's voice. I don't like when she yells, it's not natural. Ugh dammit Libs. I finally got out of the car, much to the pleasure of my friends and was once again surprised by Neutron's actions. He picked me up and flung me over his shoulder and took me back to the hover car, good thing I left my stuff in Libby's car, she can drop it off later. As he put me down, I had some choice words.

"What the hell was that?"

"Um no Vortex. What the hell was that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't meet me after practice."

"Ummmm maybe because you were SUCKING FACE WITH QUINLAN!"

"What the fuck Vortex? She kissed me! If you had walked up, you would've heard me say that I'm not into her."

"Oh please, you looked like you were pretty into it to me."

"Oh yeah and Newton didn't discover gravity."

"Oh whatever, I don't need this ya know."

"What and you think I do?"

"Um yes! Ugh just take me home Nerdbomb."

"Make me."

"Fine!" Before he could react, I grabbed the keys to the hover car and jumped in.

"What the fuck?! No! That's not what I meant! I meant give me a kiss or something, not steal my keys! Vortex! You don't know how to drive it!"

"Oh come on, you couldn't have made that many adjustments to it, I drove it just fine back in elementary and junior high school."

"Ugh just.. Don't hit anything."

"Yes sir," I gave him a quick kiss to tease him as he climbed in and we took off. It had been so long since I had driven the hover car, I missed this so much. I would never tell anyone this, but I was so happy he was back home. This was going to be such a fun year.

A/N: There's the next chapter! On the weekends I tend to have a lot more free time than I do during the week so I get to write a lot! Please review, let me know what you guys think!:)


	7. Chapter 7

Bittersweet Ch 7:

Check Mate

A/N: Hey guys, here I am with another chapter, like I said, I write A LOT on the weekends, I hope you guys enjoy it! I'm really enjoying writing this story, so I don't really see a clear end in sight, but I have a feeling it'll continue throughout their whole school year until graduation and maybe a little farther. Who knows? What do you guys think?

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.

Friday night. I had been dreading, yet also looking forward to, this night all week. This was the first official night of mine and Jimmy's punishment for what happened on Sunday. Tonight Neutron and I would be closing the restaurant and doing dishes, along with tomorrow night and the following weekends for the next month. _Yay_. My shift didn't start til 5:30 and it was almost 4. We got out of cheer practice early since there's the back to school dance tonight, I wanted to go but I knew there would be no way Drew would let me have the night off. _Oh well, maybe tonight won't be so bad after all._

'Ready to go?' Jimmy's text read. Jimmy and I had decided to carpool to work together in order to save gas. After all, we were neighbors and we would be working the same shift tonight. Ugh, I didn't get him. This week had been really fun, yet also very confusing. Neutron and I kept going at our 'game' of flirting and occasionally kissing but that was it. I was having fun not knowing how he really felt and I liked the flirting, it was fun and exciting. In the last five years that he was gone, I didn't have very much of that. No one really piqued my interest, it was always only him. Now that he was back, I felt like life made sense again, even though it sounds really cheesy, it was true. My world made sense with him in it.

As I walked outside to hop in the hover car, I couldn't believe what I saw. There, in the middle of our street, stood Jimmy in a tux holding a bouquet of flowers. I was speechless.

"Wha-What are these for? What's all this for?" I knew I was blushing, but right now I didn't care. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Well, tonight's the back to school dance, I know you can't be there and I'm sorry. I wanted to make it up to you."

"Oh Jimmy.. This-This is incredible. Thank you." He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him while also turning on some music. Frank Sinatra's 'Just the Way You Look Tonight' was selected. One of my all time favorites. There, in the middle of the street, we danced. Those few minutes until the song ended were some of the best of my life. It was the sweetest and most romantic thing I'd ever seen on TV or read about in books. But that's what I didn't understand, I didn't really know how he felt about me, we didn't really discuss it, yet here we were: dancing in our street to one of the most romantic songs of all time.

"Thank you" I said as I reached up and kissed his cheek when the song ended.

"Of course Cin, I'm really sorry you couldn't go to the dance."

"It's okay, this was better, much, much better." He blushed at that, it was cute seeing him blush, it brought a blush to my cheeks just seeing it.

"I'm really glad," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "so um, you ready to go have a fun night at work?" He asked as he opened my door for me.

"Ready as I'll ever be," feigning boredom. Deep down I was excited to spend all night with Jimmy. Even though we were working and we wouldn't get to talk much since it was a busy Friday night, I couldn't help but be excited.

Our shift started as any normal shift would, we grabbed our aprons, server books, pens, etc. But it did not continue as any normal shift would. Halfway through the night, around 8pm Betty and her family came in and requested to sit in "whatever section Jimmy Neutron is serving". Ugh, gag me.

"Hey guys, my name is Cindy, this is Jimmy, we'll be serving you tonight." I put on my best fake smile and did my best to be nice to Quinlan and her family. After what she tried to pull on Tuesday though, she'll be lucky if I don't throw up in her food.

"Hi Cindy!" Betty said sweetly, gross, she then looked at Jimmy and said, "Hey Jimmy! Just like I promised, we came to see you!" My eyes immediately narrowed and my head snapped toward Jimmy so fast he could barely react. However, I saw the look on his face, he looked confused. He looked at me panicked and I knew he didn't know what was going on. So, Betty is the one playing the games, well two can play that game.

"Yeah Jimmy here," I said as I wrapped my arm around his, "told me you guys were supposed to come in! I thought that was so sweet of you guys, means so much to us!" I said as I gave him a quick squeeze to emphasize the word us. Betty's eyes narrowed and I knew she knew what I was doing.

"So, what can we get started to drink for you guys tonight?" One by one, Betty's family ordered their drinks, when it got to Betty's turn, she completely ignored me and only addressed Jimmy.

"Jimmy, I'd love a Shirley Temple."

"Um okay, no problem," I could tell he was uncomfortable, which made it so hard not to burst out laughing right then and there. The rest of the night continued on just like that, I would ask what everyone would like to eat, they'd all address me except for Betty. She even stopped him one time we were walking by their table by grabbing his hand and pulling him toward her, "Jimmy, what would you recommend?" He looked to me for help and I just winked and walked away to go check on another table. For some reason, I didn't feel threatened by Betty anymore. If anything, I thought it was hilarious and pathetic how hard she was trying. Even though Jimmy and I haven't really addressed our feelings, I just knew he wasn't into her and that she was making a fool of herself.

After Betty's family finished their meal and left, the rest of the night was pretty standard, aside from the fact that while Jimmy and I were washing the dishes, he grabbed the spray nozzle and got me wet which resulted in a full on war of water. We called a truce the best way we know how: by making out. All in all, it was a great night.

The next night, he and I were scheduled to close again, which of course, I was excited for. However, as fun as it is flirting with Jimmy, I still didn't quite understand what was happening. So, in order to clear my head, I decided to go for a run to the park and do some sprints on the field. It was early in the morning so it wasn't blistering hot outside yet, in fact, there were some shady areas where it was really nice when I got to the park. Running is my favorite way to escape. Aside from cheerleading, I was a track and field/cross country star my freshman and sophomore year. However, Coach Mellona advised that I stop because I was losing some muscle from all the excessive exercise. It did make sense though, I was exercising so much that my hormones had completely plummeted. Those first few years without Jimmy were the hardest, I was constantly trying to keep myself as busy as possible to get my mind off him. Today, that's exactly what I need.

As I was finishing up another round of sprints, I saw a familiar robotic dog flying in the air in my direction. Sure enough, Goddard landed at my feet and had a message for me, which read:

 **Hey Cin, it's me. Want to have a** **picnic in the park this afternoon?**

 _Man he was sweet. What angle was he_ _working though?_ _What's he trying to_ _accomplish_? I told Goddard to tell Jimmy that I'd love to and that I'd be ready to go at noon, he barked and flew back home.

I finished up with a few more rounds of sprints and then ran home to get showered and changed. As I finished getting ready, I got a text from the genius himself saying he was ready whenever I was but that there was no rush. I replied saying I was ready and left my house. There he was, outside with the hover car ready to go. The hover car? Aren't we just going to the park? I thought as I approached him.

"You're probably wondering why I have the hover car all packed, I figured instead of the park, we could go somewhere different." He said with a proud smile on his face.

"How different? Jimmy we have work tonight we can't leave the planet." He laughed at that, I loved hearing his laugh. He had a nice, hearty laugh too, it wasn't like my obnoxious witch cackle.

"We're not leaving the planet, I promise, now get your cute butt inside the hover car so we can go." He said as he held my hand and kissed the top. He was such a charmer, after all these years he still has such a spell on me.

"Sir yes sir!" I said as I stood there and saluted him, he really got a kick out of that too, I like that I can make him laugh.

This was the best surprise ever. I can't believe he actually remembered after all these years. Growing up, I've always wanted to visit New York, especially Central Park. Retroville isn't a very big city and I've always felt like I needed more, and New York always had more. So, when we were younger and going on adventures, I always suggested New York but we could never go. Sheen didn't want to be around all the people, Carl was allergic to everything there and being that we were eleven, I couldn't ask Jimmy to take me alone, I was scared. So now that I was flying over Central Park as Jimmy found a place to park, I was elated.

"Jimmy-" I whispered as I looked out at all the people, I didn't know what to say. How do you thank someone for doing all this? It was incredible.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? Oh Jimmy! I love it! This is so amazing! Thank you!" I reached over, flung my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Once again he started blushing,I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I'm not going to question it.

"How does this spot look? We can have our picnic here if you want." He asked as we approached an empty area of the park.

"Yeah this seems perfect, thank you so much again Jimmy."

"You're very welcome Cin, I remembered how you used to always want to go here when we were younger, and I wanted you to have a nice day before we go to work for another six and a half hours." He explained as he started removing contents from the picnic basket.

"I can't believe you remembered, this is so sweet, I can't thank you enough."

"Cindy you don't have to thank me, I have a hover car, you can come here whenever you want. I'm sorry we never got to go before I moved away."

"Oh that's okay, trust me it was worth the wait." I said as I kissed his cheek again. He blushed and touched his cheek then started to dig in to the sandwiches he brought. He packed a ham and provolone with mustard and pickles, my favorite, and a turkey with Swiss and mayo, Jimmy's favorite. We sat, ate and talked like there wasn't a care in the world. Being with Jimmy when it's just the two of us has always been my favorite. Without the pressures of friends and classmates, we can just be our dorky selves. Even though I didn't know what he and I were in terms of a relationship, that was okay. For once, I didn't feel the need to be in control of the situation.

"Hey guys, why don't you clock on a few minutes early, I've got a table here that says they know you and they won't have anyone else serve them." Drew said as we walked in and got our aprons.

"Oh dear, okay thanks." I said as I looked at Jimmy with a look that read 'who the heck is he talking about?' He just shrugged so we grabbed our books and head out to main dining area to see our friends. I should've known, I thought as I rolled my eyes.

"Cindy! Jimmy! Over here!" Sheen stood up and started waving and yelling us over.

"Trust me, Ultra doofus, we saw you."

"Hey just gotta make sure," he said as he put his hands up defensively.

After our friends ate and left, the rest of the night was pretty boring actually. It slowed down a lot after 8:30 so we had time to do all our closing server duties and start the dishes before the restaurant even closed at 10:30. Last night, we weren't out of there til 11:15, but tonight I knew we'd be done around 10:45.

As Jimmy drove me home, I sat there content in the passenger seat watching him drive the hover car. He looked so in-command. He kept looking back to me but I'd just turn away and pretend that I wasn't looking, then when he turned back I would start looking at him again. I couldn't help but compare his appearance now to how it used to be. His hair was no longer in its whippy-dip style, I made note to ask him about that later, his jawline was much more defined, but his eyes were the same blue they had always been. The eyes that I dreamt about for five years while he was living in Pennsylvania, the eyes that got me in trouble last Sunday at the restaurant, and the eyes that I'm falling in love with.

"Goodnight Jimmy, thank you for everything, I had a really great day," I said as I smiled, he returned it with a megawatt smile of his own.

"You're very welcome, I'm really glad you enjoyed it, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Considering we're both working 9-6, yes you will," I said as I opened my door and walked inside, giving one last wave to him I closed the door and went upstairs to my room. I was tired but my brain was wide awake. I laid in bed for a while just thinking about him. The good, the bad and scary of him being home. I loved having him back here because my world finally made sense again, I didn't love having him back here all because of my mom. When he left, my relationship with her skyrocketed. I was the best in town again and she was the proudest she's ever been of me. But now that he was back, I wasn't the best anymore, I wouldn't be Valedictorian, which is something she's been looking forward to since my the first day of high school. She blamed the fact that I wasn't smarter than a certified genius on me and my inability to be the best. So far, now that he's back, she hasn't cracked down on me too much, but I have a feeling as the school year continues, things are going to change. The scary part of him being back was that, even though he may not know it, he holds my heart in his hands. I'm in love with him, and I'm playing a dangerous game right now. I'm risking getting the worst broken heart I could imagine, but I guess the risk would be worth the reward. Frankly, I have no idea what I'm doing. I mean, it's senior year, we'll be going off to college next year anyway, why am I starting something with him anyway. But then again, I know I shouldn't overthink it so much, I'm a teenager, I'm having fun. Besides, I'm sure I'll meet plenty of people in college, _yeah but they won't be_ _him_. I went to bed that night with thoughts wrestling in my mind about whether or not I was making a mistake. The war was no longer with Neutron, the war was now against my brain and my heart.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it, let me know what you think!:)

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron.

Bittersweet Ch 8:

It's been a week since I found out Jimmy moved back. Now, a week later, I'm not sure where he and I stand but I'm addicted to him and his game. Today, we work together the Sunday brunch shift from 9-6. Nine hours with Jimmy, needless to say I was excited. Before he moved back, I didn't care much about my appearance, especially to work. I never wore makeup, never did anything with my hair, I didn't see a reason to make myself look nice. It didn't seem like anyone cared, I especially didn't. Now, I wanted to look nice and make an effort with my appearance. Not just to 'impress' Jimmy, but for myself. I had a sudden burst of confidence and pride when he moved back. That drive and competitive side of me started to be reborn, I felt like myself again. It was a nice feeling.

We had agreed to carpool again today, we would be leave at 8:35 sharp in order to get there a few minutes early to go over everything. So, in order to have ample time to get ready, I woke up at 6:30. With two hours, I had time to make myself some breakfast, put on some makeup and add a little wave to my hair. I felt pretty, but not overly done-up for work. Just as I was putting on my shoes, I got a text from Jimmy at 8:34 saying he was outside. He was so punctual it was insane. Just to play a little joke on him, I didn't walk outside until 8:37, I knew it would drive him crazy and I was so happy when I walked out and it looked like he was about to rip his hair out.

"Vortex what the hell! We agreed to leave at 8:35!"

"Oh don't get your thong in a twist, we're fine."

"Ughhhhhh" He groaned as he ran his hands through his hair. "You're so fucking lucky you're hot." He said as he winked at me. My jaw dropped as I smiled and blushed.

"I'm so glad you're home." It came out before I even knew the words had left my mouth. I immediately regretted it. I couldn't let him know how I felt, I looked down and buried my head in shame. He seemed to love it though. He reached over and grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear, "Me too". Then before taking off, kissed the top of my head. I smiled and I felt sheer happiness blooming in my chest.

Our day at work was pretty standard, this was his third and final training shift under me. The Firestone work week starts over every Monday and starting tomorrow he'll be shadowing Christine all week instead of me, then after that he's on his own. Lucky for me, she has a similar schedule as me so I'll still get to see him at work, we just won't be starting and ending at the same time, except for Friday and Saturday when he'll just have to stay and help close up. Because this was his last night shadowing me, I was trying to savor every moment of it. I loved being so close to him all the time, I loved feeling his body heat against me and I loved the tension between us. If I'm honest, I'm kind of nervous for him to shadow Christine. I've always struggled with jealousy and insecurity issues, especially when it comes to him. Plus, Christine is gorgeous. She's a little taller than I am, she's got long thin legs with this really long blonde hair. Her hair is longer and blonder than mine, add in her perfect skin, I wouldn't be able to blame him if he fell in love with her, everyone does. They've met a few times and are acquainted now that he's been here for a week and I've heard from others that she thinks he's really cute. I'm just glad I don't see her everyday at school, she's a year older than us so she graduated last year. I like her, but I just don't like that she's better than me, and that there's a chance of Jimmy falling for her and her charm.

"Something wrong Vortex?" Jimmy asked me as we walked out after our shift.

"No, nothing's wrong," I lied as I smiled up at him. He placed his hand on the bottom of my back and handed me the keys to the hover car. I looked up at him confused and he explained, "I don't believe you, so I'm hoping you'll feel a little better if you drive us home." I couldn't help but give him an ear to ear smile.

As we got home, he pulled me into a hug and asked me if I felt better, I smiled and nodded my head before giving him a quick kiss.

"Good, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes sir," I said, I tried to put a hint of sexiness to my voice, it must have worked because he bent down close to my ear and with a husky tone to his voice said, "Great, I'm looking forward to it." Then kissed my neck. I thought my knees were going to give out right there at that very second.

Mondays are always a drag. I know everyone hates Monday's because it's the start of a new week, but I hate Monday's because it's the day of the week my Dad died. It's been 3 years now, 3 years today to be exact. It gets easier every year though, life is reaching a sense of normal again and I'm moving on. As Libby came to pick me up, she got out of the car and enveloped me in a big hug and told me she loved me. It took every ounce of my strength not to break down in her arms, I should've known she'd know the date he died and that this would be a hard day for me. As we drove to school, we sat in silence, I wasn't in much of a mood to talk and I'm glad Libby seemed to understand that. When we got to school, I was surprised to see the hover car already there and Jimmy not in it. In the last week, he either got there as we did or got there later, so I was shocked to see that he got there before us. We walked into the building and started towards our lockers, I was surprised to see a note coming out of mine. I quickly went up and grabbed it and read it, 'Hey I know we haven't talked about it, but I know what happened and I'm really sorry. If you ever need a shoulder to lean on or someone to talk to or kiss when you're bored, I'm your genius.' I couldn't help but smile to myself. I'll bet Libby told him. Normally, I don't like people knowing my business, but my Dad dying was a big thing for Retroville, everyone knew, for months I was a broken shell of a person. Now that it's been a few years, I'm okay and recovering, I like to think I'm returning to who I used to be, after all my Dad wouldn't want me to be broken, he'd want me to be okay. With Jimmy back home, I didn't want to show my weakness, I wanted him to know I was who I've always been, we haven't talked about my parents or anything, so I assumed he didn't know. As I hold this letter though, I guess it's okay if he knows I have weaknesses. Maybe I don't need to be strong and fearless all the time.

The rest of the school day went by fairly normally. Jimmy kept reaching over and squeezing my hand, which I surprisingly liked. I guess I just know that he isn't some asshole trying to get in my pants, he actually cares about me, which is the best feeling. As the end of the day approached and I was getting ready for cheer practice, I thought of my mom. I don't normally think of her anymore, she and I have such a weird relationship now that my dad is gone. She still expects me to be the best, but she stopped as caring much, she's not as overbearing as she used to be. For about two months after he died, we both were broken and didn't know how to move on and cope, but soon after that she started dating some guy from work and since then it's just been boyfriend after boyfriend. Every year though on this day she doesn't leave her bed, I wasn't surprised at all this morning to see her laying in bed with his picture on one side and some tissue boxes and memories scattered about. At first when she started dating all these guys, I was insulted, I couldn't believe that she had the audacity to do that to my dad. Now, however I know better. Those guys are nothing more than her way of trying to keep her mind occupied and off the fact that she lost her husband. I understand that. I was broken out of my thoughts when Libby came up to me, "You ready for practice love?"

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm ready, let's do this." I said as I grabbed my hair tie and tied my hair up into a ponytail.

As we walked out of practice, I saw that the baseball team was already done with their practice and that it looks like most of them had gone home. Most of them, I thought as I walked to the parking lot with Libby and saw Jimmy standing by the hover car waving at us. I felt the butterflies inside my stomach start to fly and stir as we walked closer.

"Hey you," he said as we got up to the hover car. I couldn't help the blush rising to my cheeks.

"Hey yourself," I responded trying to just act cool.

"Well as fun as this is, standing here watching you guys devour each other with your eyes, I should get going. You taking her Jimmy or do you want me to?" I heard Libby say, which only intensified the red color to my cheeks.

"Oh I'll take her home, thank you though," he said not taking his eyes off me once.

I waved bye to Libby and hopped into the hover car.

"How was your day?" He asked me holding my hand running his thumb along by hand.

"It was good," I answered simply as I smiled down at the contact.

"Do you have much homework to do?" He asked me.

"Eh, not too much. I get most of my work done in Study Hall, what are you?"

"Same, I was wondering if you wanted to get some lunch then?"

"Oh um sure," I tried so hard to just be cool and not let my emotions show, but he made it so difficult not to show my excitement and nervousness.

"Awesome I know just the place" he said as looked over at me and winked. My insides were tingling.

About thirty minutes later we arrived at a little cafe in a town I think I recognized as.. Sydney? Did he seriously take me to Australia?

"Jimmy, are we... Are we in Australia?" I couldn't help but ask completely dumbfounded. I have flown to the moon and Mars yet when he flies me to Australia I'm shocked, go figure.

"Yeah! I know this isn't one those places you've always wanted to go, but it's a really cool place and I've always wanted to see it, what better person to bring than my intellectual equal?" That statement nearly made my brain stop. He just called me his equal.. I wonder if he said that just to make me happy or if he actually means it. Either way, that was super sweet, he and I may not be in a defined relationship, but for the first time in a long time, I was genuinely happy.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it :)

Bittersweet Ch 9:

Wednesday morning I woke up feeling really refreshed and ready for my day. Today was going to be a crazy day, after cheer practice this afternoon, I had a dentist appointment then I had work. I don't normally work Wednesdays, but I'm not complaining because Christine is scheduled to work tonight so that means Jimmy is too. After our lunch outing on Monday, I'm more perplexed than ever at the nature of our relationship. I mean, before he moved we were close but we hardly talked at all once he left, now he's back and everything just went back to the way it was? I'm just confused because he doesn't always communicate well or show his feelings, yet he'll kiss me and compliment me... Either way, I'm having fun.

I chose a blush pink sundress that was covered in flowers for today to which I got two thumbs up from Libby.

"Girl you look awesome! Your legs look fantastic!"

"Aw thanks Libs, I don't look too pale?" I try to be as confident as possible around anyone except Libby. Libby is one of the only people on the whole planet that I let my guard down for. She knows every insecurity that I have. Although I may not be the best at discussing my feelings, she knows them anyway and helps me to talk about them. She really helps me be my best. That being said though, this morning when I put on my dress, I felt very pale. I didn't lay out much this summer so my skin wasn't super tan, I did feel a little self-conscious. However, Libby was a good friend and assured me that I was being ridiculous. I smiled as I buckled my seatbelt.

"So, how's work going? I'm actually thinking of asking Drew if he needs another waitress. Now that my internship is over, I have a lot more free time and I could use the extra cash."

"OMG yes! Libby this is perfect! Andrea's last day is next Friday!"

"Wait what? Why is Andrea leaving? She's been there since the place freaking opened!"

"I know, but she's older now and she wants to spend more time with her kids. Plus, you know what her husband does for a living, it's not like they need the extra money."

"Oh yeah huh, well in that case I'll definitely shoot Drew a text later."

"Man this is going to be so great, I'm excited."

With that news, I was ecstatic. I loved working with Libby, if I was treated poorly by a customer, she always knew what to say to calm me down and keep me from making a scene, these past few months were rough without her there. Plus, now we can both torture Neutron at school AND work, this'll be great.

As the day continued, it was just one good thing after another. We had a test on Monday in English on the summer reading assignment 'The Odyssey', I love that book so I enjoyed reading it again. Today we got our tests back and I was happy to see that I not only aced the test, but I got the extra credit right as well so I got a score of 105%. I noticed that Jimmy only got 102%, I was on Cloud 9. I couldn't help but rub it in his face.

"Huh.. losing your touch huh Neutron?"

"Oh come on Vortex, you know English has never been my strong suit, I still got over 100% though." Yeah I guess he was right, but to me, that 3% made all the difference.

Then, as cheer practice started, we learned some new stunt sequences since football season would be starting the following week and my group did excellent. I was a flyer primarily, but I based occasionally if I needed to. Today I was only flying though, and with so many years of karate and various martial arts my balance and flexibility were top-notch. I was very proud of my stunt group as we nailed every move. I'm in the running for Cheer Captain and we find out this Friday who will end up taking the role. After today, I'm feeling very confident in my ability to lead the team, because not only did my group excel, but I helped other fliers with their technique in order to improve the stunt which I could tell Coach really liked.

I had almost forgotten about my dentist appointment until Libby said something when we got to her car.

"Hey wait, don't you have a dentist appointment in 20 minutes?"

"Oh my god I completely forgot! My mom is going to kill me!"

"It's okay girl don't worry, by the time we get home you'll still have time to make it there with a minute to spare."

"You think so?"

"Only if you wear your uniform," she said quietly. Even though she murmured it, I heard it. She was right, it was either be late and start a war with my mother because 'Vortexes were never late', or it was wear my cheer uniform to my dentist appointment and get made fun of by my dentist. I chose the latter. I like my dentist a lot actually, she's a young woman, maybe in her early 30's, but she's a lot like me so we get along very well. I knew she'd never let me live it down if I wore my 'preppy cheer outfit' as she called it, and I was right. Oh well, still better than being berated by my mom for being late.

After my appointment, I had about 45 minutes to get home and change for work before I had to leave. I was surprised to find myself a little disappointed that Jimmy and I couldn't carpool. Now that he was shadowing Christine, he started an hour earlier than I did so I had to take myself. I don't really like driving, I have my license and I drive when I need to, but I just don't care for it all that much, that's often why I hitch a ride with Libby or Jimmy. I like to drive the hover car but that's different. There's no traffic or stupid drivers in the air.

When I got to work, I was not surprised to see Christine flirting with Jimmy, I was however surprised to see him flirting back. _So that's how this is going to be huh_ , I thought as I grabbed my apron and tied it around my waist. _Well then, two can play that game Mr. Neutron_. I tucked a pen behind my ear, clocked on and got to work. I don't usually flirt back with male customers who try and lay on the charm, but today was different. Today, I would purposely twirl my hair and bat my eyelashes, one time I even giggled and lay my hand down on a guy's shoulder as I laughed. I have to admit, this guy was super cute and he did leave me his number, but he wasn't Jimmy.

The best part was though, that I could tell Jimmy saw me flirting and he was not having it. It eventually turned into who could flirt the most to the point where I broke a pen when he laid his hand on the bottom of Christine's back as she led him to where the back-up fridge was. That was my breaking point. At that point, it was war. _He'll be lucky if he leaves here tonight with both of his juevos_ , I thought as I grabbed a new pen from the host stand and got back to work.

Because he started earlier than I did, he would be off a little earlier than I would be, which I wasn't bothered by, but when he walked out I noticed that Christine walked out with him and they both stopped at the hover car and talked for about 20 minutes. I'd give anything to know what was so funny and why she was constantly touching him. I could snap every bone in her hand if she doesn't stop it, I thought as Drew broke me out of my thoughts.

"Uh Cin, that's the third napkin you've ripped in half. Why don't you take a break from doing folds and go ahead and clean the menus off."

"Huh? Oh um, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was, um okay."

As I finished my side work and cashed out my last table, I put my apron back and looked out the door window one last time. I could see that the hover car was no longer there, but Christine's car still was. That must mean they went somewhere together, not like I care.

I couldn't help but become more and more upset as I got to my car. Who the hell does he think he is leading me on like this the whole time? Ugh I knew this would happen. This is why I don't get close to anybody. God fuck him and fuck me for falling for him again. Fuck fuck fuck.

I started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot towards my house. The whole way I was blasting The Killers letting the loud music drown out my thoughts.

As I was approaching my street, I was starting to calm down and all I was thinking about was relaxing in a nice hot bubble bath. After that, maybe I'll paint my nails, they could use a nice touch-up.

As I was relaxing in the tub with some music quietly playing and cucumbers over my eyes, my music stopped suddenly. Surprised, I took the cucumbers off my eyes and picked up my phone to see what had happened, sure enough Neutron was calling me. I declined the call, put the cucumber slices where they belong and began to relax once more. Not even a minute later, he called me again and so I declined the call again. This cycle repeated three times before I finally put my phone on Do Not Disturb and tried to return my zen state of mind. Of course, he made that impossible. Now that he was on my mind, I knew he wouldn't be leaving it anytime soon.

I got out of the tub and put my robe on, guess I'll just do my nails, I thought as I grabbed my favorite bottle of nail polish and a nail file. I sat down at my desk and got to work at filing away creating nice rounded edges. As I got ready to apply the first coat, I heard a tap on my window. Startled, I looked up but didn't see anything. A second later I saw a rock fly up and hit my window. I knew right away it had to be Neutron. Furious, I opened the window and shouted down below to him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're going to piss off my mom if you keep trying to crack my fucking window!"

"Then don't fucking ignore my calls!"

"Don't fucking flirt with some bimbo right in front of me all day and piss me off!"

"What the fuck Vortex?"

"What the fuck Neutron?"

"V.. Will you just please come down here?"

I secretly liked this new nickname 'V'. He's called me that a few times since he's been back, every time it makes me smile. How could I say no after that?

"Ugh god dammit. Fuck. Fine."

I hated that even from my window I could see the smug grin plastered on his face.

A/N: The next chapter will include their talk! Thank you guys for your reviews! You guys are so awesome! Really really brightens my day!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: To be honest, I should be doing homework but who cares! The show must go on! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron. Bittersweet Ch 10:

Mixed Feelings and Bubble Baths

"Okay, I'm here. Talk."

"How are you?" He asked me as if we weren't just shouting at eachother from my bedroom window.

"Just get on with it Neutron."

"Well fine Miss Grumpfish. I want to know why you were ignoring my calls."

"And I want to know why you felt the need to flirt and feel up Christine. And where the hell did you two run off to anyway?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"I didn't go anywhere after work with Christine or feel her up for that matter."

"Oh please! Because after you two walked out, I saw the hover car leave but her car was still there and don't think I didn't see you touching her back!"

"Then she must be with someone else because I came home and called you and touching her back? Really? How does that count as 'feeling her up'? It wasn't a big deal."

I rolled my eyes to show him that I didn't care but on the inside I was having a hard time not believing him. I mean, what if I was over-reacting? Maybe they didn't leave together after all.. But then why was he flirting so much with her?

"Yeah sure buddy. If that's all fine and dandy, then why were you flirting with her so much?"

As he took a step closer to me, he lowered his voice and said, "Because I knew it would bother you. I wanted to see how much you cared." I was stunned. Now I feel like an idiot, if I had known that's what he was doing, I would've pretended that I didn't care. I can't let him know that I care, at least I was doing some flirting of my own with some of the customers, hopefully he got a taste of his medicine. I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. I turned to walk away when he grabbed my hand turned me so I was facing him.

"What're you-"

I couldn't even finish what I was saying because his lips were on mine. I couldn't help but melt into it. I let him snake his arms around my waist and pull me closer, my pulse was quickening and my body was heating up being so close to him. The effect he had on me was electrifying, _I don't think I'll ever have this_ _with anyone else_ , and that thought scares me a lot. When we finally broke apart, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

"So um.. What was that for?" I say as my breathing returns to normal, trying not to show how flustered I really was.

"What? A guy can't kiss a girl he's into?"

All brain function immediately ceased. I was a statue. There were the words I had been waiting for since the moment he came back into my life. The reassurance that I needed that he was into me. But now, that it's out in the open I don't know. I don't know what to think or feel. I think part of it for me is the chase and excitement, while he was gone I didn't date much or anything. I had a few crushes here and there, but it never turned into anything serious so I don't have much experience when it comes to relationships, I don't know if I'm ready for this. It took me a few moments to realize that this whole time my thoughts were racing, I was just standing in front of him staring at him. When I finally felt courageous enough to say something, it came out prepubescent and squeaky.

"Well uh.. I umm.. Have to get going, I have school tomorrow."

"Oh.. Right.. Well I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, night." I said before quickly walking back into my house. I couldn't help but feel a little bad because I probably just sent some serious mixed signals, but what the hell. He's been sending me mixed signals since he came home! So whatever, I don't know why I'm even feeling guilty. _Tomorrow is going to be very_ _interesting_ , I thought as I got ready for bed and fell asleep.

The next day was indeed very interesting. It started out as any other day would, Libby waited outside my house as I grabbed my bag and walked out. The second I walked outside my house though, Neutron just so happened to be walking out of his house, we made eye contact and it was awkward but whatever. Eventually things will go back to normal.

Being the Hawk-eyed gossip queen she is, Libby immediately noticed the awkward eye contact he and I made and said something about it.

"Ummmm what was that? Trouble in paradise already?"

"What? No! What are you talking about?" I couldn't help but immediately get defensive which didn't help much. Libby always sees right through me.

"We'll talk about it later, just get your butt in the car before we're late to school."

"Yes mom" I say making a joke about her lecturing me.

As we drove to school, the events of last night replayed over and over again in my head. For one thing, I was kicking myself for acting the way I did, for another I was still stunned by what he said. _I guess we'll_ _see how today goes_ , I thought as we parked and got out of the car.

The rest of the day followed just like this morning did, he and I would occasionally share some awkward eye contact but other than that we didn't talk much. Lunch was weird because the five of us had been eating lunch together everyday for the past week and a half all talking and laughing and getting along, Jimmy and I would occasionally argue about something but it was nothing compared to how we were as kids. Today though, we were silent towards eachother, we didn't even sit next to each other which is what we had been doing since the first day. Sheen noticed but right when he was about to say something, I saw Libby elbow him in the side, which I was grateful for. I didn't want to talk about it, I just wanted to be left alone for a while.

Cheer practice thankfully went on as normal, my group did great and ended up helping others, I'm so eager and anxious for tomorrow. If I don't get cheer captain my mom will be furious. I'm a Vortex so I have to be the best, that's what she's always told me. Even now that she's not as involved in my life, she still makes sure I'm always the best. She was pissed when she found out that Jimmy moved back because she knew I would never beat him for Valedictorian, thankfully she went off on me once and then never brought it up again, so I'm hoping getting cheer captain will make up for that a little bit. As I was walking out, Coach Mellona stopped me and told me she was impressed by me and my group.

"Vortex, come here for a second!"

"What's up Coach?"

"I just wanted to say how impressed I am by your stunt group. I can always count on you to nail it without any problems and give some tips to the other fliers. I see bright things in your future."

I left there ecstatic, I hoped she was referring to cheer captain as the 'bright things'. Because of the weird situation Jimmy and I are in right now, I counted on him not waiting for me like he had made a habit of doing, what I didn't count on was that Libby must've forgotten about this morning and assumed he was giving me a ride because she was nowhere to be found. I was about to start walking home when I noticed the hover car was still there but the genius owner was nowhere in sight. _That's weird_ , I thought as I scanned the parking lot and baseball field, the rest of the team is gone, I wonder what he's up to. All of a sudden I heard some giggling to my right and I turned to see Christine flirting and laughing the genius himself. _What the fuck is she doing here?_ _She already graduated!_ I stormed over and stopped next to Jimmy and put on the best fake smile I could before addressing her.

"Christine! What a lovely surprise, what are you doing here?"

"Oh I'm here to pick up my brother, he's finishing up track practice soon and my parents weren't able to do it today so I offered."

"Well how lovely. What were you guys talking about? Did I interrupt anything?" I ask as I used the nicest voice I could muster up.

"Actually I just invited Christine out to dinner tonight seeing as how well we've been getting along at work. I'm still waiting on her answer though." Jimmy said without even looking at me once. Christine of course started giggling again and said yes. I could feel my heart actually breaking, I felt nauseous. I knew I needed to get out of there and quick.

"Well.. That's uh, that's awesome, I hope you guys have a great time." I said through clenched teeth as I walked away. Part of me was hoping Jimmy would follow after me and tell me it was a joke and that he's still into me, but he never did. 20 minutes later I arrived home and went straight to the bath. A long, relaxing bath is just what I need right now.

A/N: There's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it, let me know what you think! Thank you for all your kind words so far, they mean the world to me!:)


	11. Chapter 11

Bittersweet Ch 11:

All For The Thrill Of The Game

A/N: Back again with a new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!

Finally Friday. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, it's the day Coach Mellona announces who's going to be Cheer Captain. I'm so anxious, I just want to know and get on with my day. Luckily because of this distraction, I haven't thought of Nerdtron that much, I'm trying to just block him out of all my thoughts. I mean, why would he act so into me this past week and a half just to make a move on Christine? Unless it was her he wanted all along and he used me to make her jealous? Or maybe it's the opposite? What if he's using her to make me jealous? Ugh probably not, she is perfect after all. Maybe I should just do the same thing, find some cute guy to use as a pawn in a game and try to make Jimmy jealous. But then again, I was the one who chickened out when he told me he was into me.. I just tense up, I don't do well when talking about feelings and shit, I wasn't raised like that. We didn't really talk about stuff like that, my mom isn't really a mushy person. I guess that's why I never have been either. I just need Jimmy to know and understand that. Ugh I hate this. Maybe today I'll talk to him and ask him why the fuck he asked Christine out. Well good thing I'm starting the day in a good mood, I think sarcastically to myself as I end my train of thought and walk out to Libby's car.

"Hi love bug! You excited for our meeting at lunch?" She asks me bright cheery, I didn't tell her about what happened yesterday. I wasn't in the mood to talk about it then and I'm still not in the mood to talk about it now. When I get like this, it's hard for me not to take it out on Libby or anyone else for that matter, but with her I try really hard not to. She doesn't deserve it, but even when I do lose my shit, she always puts up with it and is a good friend. She understands me and knows why I get the way I do and just listens to me. So this morning, when she greeted with me a nauseating cheeriness, it was nearly impossible not to be a bitch and try to bring her down with me. Miraculously though, I kept my cool and just tried to remain as cool, calm and collected as possible.

"Yeah I'm excited. Anxious, but excited."

"I really think you're gonna get it."

"I hope so, let's not jinx it."

"Deal."

As we pulled into the parking lot, I couldn't help but notice that the hover car wasn't there. I also couldn't help the natural curiosity creeping up about where he might be. I hate myself for caring about him and what he does, why should I care? Obviously he doesn't care about me.

I took my seat in my first class waiting for the bell to ring and waiting to see if the genius himself would show and sure enough, just seconds before the bell rang, he stumbled in, hair messy and flustered. I have to admit, he looked cute with his hair ruffled up like that, he must have overslept. He took the empty seat next to me and whispered hey as he sat down, acting as if yesterday didn't even happen. I chose to ignore him and stare blankly ahead waiting for lesson to start. I wasn't ready for this. What I also wasn't ready for was his persistence to talk to me. I figured after I ignored him the first time that he would've gotten the hint and shut up. I was wrong.

"Hey Vortex."

Once again I didn't reply, I don't know what the fuck he's doing but I want no part of it, I know I don't really have any reason to be upset, I turned him down so he moved on. Or at least that was the theory I'm choosing to go with. Either way, I'm upset with him and I didn't want to talk.

"Hey Jimmy." I heard him say softly to himself, pretending as if I had actually answered him, I almost laughed but at the last second I was able to bite my tongue, there was no way I was going to give him the satisfaction.

"How are you Cindy?"

"Oh I'm good, thanks for asking. How are you?"

"Oh I'm good-"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Finally I decided to break his one-person conversation because I couldn't take it anymore. He seemed pleased with himself that I finally broke, damn it.

"Well Miss Vortex, since you decided to ignore me, I chose to do it for you."

"How gracious of you, however I think that's enough. Some of us actually value our education and would appreciate it if our classmates would shut the hell up and let us learn."

"Yeah you hear that Oleander! We're trying to learn!" It was so hard not to laugh, over the years it seems that he's really developed a great sense of humor, poor Oleander looked so confused but I shot him an apologetic look and right away he understood.

"Oh whatever Neutron, just shut up and let me learn."

"Yes ma'am." Out of the corner of my eye I saw him salute to me, a smile escaped my lips and I immediately scolded myself for the slip.

As the day dragged on, little moments like that kept happening, he'd try to get my attention, I'd ignore him and then we'd end up talking. Finally towards the end of lunch, I was at my wits end. I was fed up with trying to figure out why he wanted to talk to me when yesterday he asked Christine out on a date. I got up and grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out to the hallway so I could properly berate him without the stares from all our peers.

"Um Vortex, where the hell are we going?"

"Just out in the hallway, you got a problem with that?"

"Um kinda, why are we going out into the hallway? You miss me?" I noticed the underlying tone he had to his voice as he said the second part, I rolled my eyes, this was just the shit I wanted to talk about. What the fuck?

"Neutron what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

By the is point we were alone in the hallway and by now my feisty confidence had slightly worn off, but my will to fight was just getting started.

"Ummm. I'm talking about how you asked Christine out on a date." I say as I put my hands on my hip and cock my hip to the side. He merely just shrugged and played it off.

"Oh that, well I knew she was into me so I figured why not." I wanted to explode.

"Oh really? Well how fantastic for you. I'm so flipping happy for you. That's just great Nerdtron. Just fucking great."

"I don't see why you're upset." He said as he slowly but surely backed me against the row of lockers. I could feel my heartbeat quickening and my cheeks starting to heat up, not just from the close contact but from the anger rising inside me because of his enormous stupidity.

"Excuse me? You don't see why I'm upset?"

"Yes, you have successfully repeated the words I just said."

"Ugh! You're so hopeless sometimes I don't even know why I-" He cut me off in the best/worst way possible. He crashed his lips onto mine and for a moment I was content, but then reality came flooding back into my head and I hit him in the arm and walked away, not before shouting some choice words at him though.

"Alright ladies! Take a seat! Time for the moment you've all been waiting for!" I could hardly contain myself. I had been waiting for practice all day, between this and my interactions with Jimmy, I had been so on edge, I still can't get over the fact that he had the audacity to kiss me when he's going on a date with another girl tonight. I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear her announce captain, Libby elbowed me in the ribs and whispered, "Hey stop day-dreaming, she's about to announce Captain."

"Alright girls, senior captain is none other than Cindy Vortex, congratulations Vortex, go ahead and give me your uniform on Monday so we can get it embroidered." I was on cloud 9 that I didn't even pay attention and listen to who the Junior, Sophomore and Freshman co-captains were. Even though we're one collective team, each grade has a 'captain' because each grade does their own thing sometimes, for example, for football games, they all cheer at their respective games while seniors cheer at the Varsity games. I was co-captain my freshman and sophomore years but I couldn't do it last year because I was out half the season with a broken wrist. I was pissed. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic that I get to be captain again, I've always been a natural born leader and I'm excited to lead my fellow teammates once again. The rest of the practice went great, I got to help coach put together a mini stunt sequence and teach it to the other girls, after practice Libby congratulated me and told me she had something to tell me.

"Girl you are never going to believe what I heard." Libby excitedly told me as we walked out of cheer practice. Any gossip she heard, she took it and ran with it, somehow my curiously was always piqued. Half the time it was never anything interesting, but sometimes it was pretty juicy, so naturally I was curious.

"What Libs?"

"Jimmy is going on a date with Christine! What the hell?" Oh god. That. I forgot she didn't know about that.

"Oh, yeah. I was actually there when he asked her."

"What the hell Cin? I thought you guys kinda had something going on..."

"Omg no! Never in a million years! Me and Nerdtron? Are you kidding? What a ridiculous idea! Why would we ever have something going on?"

"Girl shut up. I can't even roll my eyes hard enough right now, just get your butt in the car and let's go."

"Yes ma'am," I say before saluting. As I got in the car, I could hear her talking but I didn't know what she was saying, I asked her to clarify but she kept mumbling until finally her index finger flew into the air and she screamed.

"I have a great idea!"

"What is it?" I wasn't normally super interested in her "great ideas" because it was usually something simple like going to the mall but this time my gut told me it wasn't about that so I was actually really excited to find out what her idea was.

"Let's find out where their date is and go see what the hell is going on."

"What? You mean stalk them? Watch them as their date is happening?"

"Exactly!"

"I'm in."

"Yes! This is going to be great! I'll ask Sheen to ask Jimmy where they're going. All we have to do is go to that same restaurant or wherever, sit a few tables away and hide behind our menus and listen to their conversation. This going to be so perfect."

"Libs, we can't hide behind for two hours, the restaurant will get mad, we need some sort of disguise."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right... Do you still have that big black floppy hat?"

"Ummm yeah I think so.. Why?"

"Go ahead and wear that, I'm going to wear a pair of my mom's big sunglasses and one of her wigs. That way they won't recognize us."

"Good thinking Libs. Alright I'm going to go in and get ready, text me what the plan is, I'll see you in a few hours." I say as I get out the car and open the door to my house. She waved goodbye and drove off. As crazy as our plan was, it was necessary. I couldn't take this lying down, something wasn't right with this so I needed to investigate, I'm lucky Libby is a gossip addict and lives for this. We'll see how this goes.

A/N: Next chapter includes the date between Jimmy and Christine! I was going to include it in this one but honestly I felt that it was better to leave off there instead of continuing. I've got a lot of great ideas for the date, the next chapter should be up soon! Hope you guys liked it, what are your thoughts?:)


	12. Chapter 12

Bittersweet Ch 12:

All is Fair in Love and War

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Can't wait for you guys to see the date between Jimmy and Christine! I've been so excited for this chapter!

"Alright girl you ready?" Libby ased me over the phone, I had just finished getting ready for our stalking adventure.

"Ummm yeah I guess, as ready as I'll ever be." I say as I check my makeup one last time.

"You got the hat?"

"Yeah yeah I have the hat. What did Sheen say about the date? Where are they going?"

"They're going to that new Italian place, Pesto Palace. Sheen said Jimmy is leaving to pick her up in like ten minutes, do you see him from your window?"

"No he hasn't come out of his house or the lab.. So if that's their plan, what's our plan?"

"Well, we obviously can't show up at the exact same time, but we need to show up a few minutes after them so we don't miss much, luckily the boys offered to help us so they're going to be texting Jimmy the whole time seeing how it's going and making sure we leave at just the right time. I'm thinking we should probably leave in like 15-20 minutes, that way even if we get there early, we can just wait in the car and walk in whenever it's time. We'll make sure we get a table near theirs so we can listen in on their conversation and stuff. Your makeup is crazy right? We gotta make sure we're disguising ourselves well."

"Yes my makeup is crazy, I also have the self tanner on that you told me to put on. I feel like a walking, talking citrus fruit."

"Perfect, just what I want to hear."

"Shhhh shut up! Jimmy just walked out of his house. He's getting in his car... He just left." I narrated his every move to Libby, I was getting more nervous and nauseous by the minute. While part of me wanted to see what was going on between him and Christine, another part was very nervous because I knew I wasn't going to like what I saw.

"He just left? Okay I'll drive to your house in just a minute, we can make any last minute adjustments to our disguises if we need to and then we'll leave. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, drive safe."

"I will, see you in a few." Then we hung up and sure enough in under three minutes Libby was at my door.

"Oh shit Cin.. I would've never known it was you... Yeah you were kinda right about that walking citrus thing.. You look kinda like how Jimmy did when we were the N-Men."

"Oh god is it that bad? I don't want to be a full-on tangerine."

"Oh stop whining you're fine, what about me? How's my disguise?"

"Actually really great, I like the pants suit, Neutron will never suspect a thing."

As we arrived at the restaurant, I saw Jimmy's car parked a few spaces away from ours. _I wonder why he_ _didn't take the hover car_ , _probably didn't want to come off as a show off on the first date. Ugh, gag me with a fricken spoon._

"You think we should go in or wait a few more minutes?" I ask Libby as I nervously knot my hands together. I couldn't sit still, I was so on edge about everything.

"Ugh I'm just waiting for Sheen to text me back. I don't want to go in there and see them in the waiting area, what we have to do is time it just right so that we get a table a little while after them so we can have one near theirs but we can't be in the waiting area with them because they could notice us."

"Um.. Libs, if our table is near theirs, couldn't they notice us that way?"

"No they'll be so wrapped up in their own conversation they won't even notice us." I couldn't help but feel like I was stabbed in the gut at that comment, I know Libby doesn't fully realize the extent of my situation with Jimmy, and it's my fault for not talking to her about it, but I hate thinking that he could be so wrapped up in anybody that isn't me.

"Okay so what the fuck are we supposed to do?"

"Shhhhh Sheen just texted me back!"

"Why do I need to shush just cause Sheen just texted you back?"

"Shhhh! I need to concentrate! This is not amateur hour Cin. This is the major leagues, I need to formulate a plan." All I could do was roll my eyes, I hoped that she saw.

"Alright you tangerine here's what we do.. We're going to walk in, request a table for two under the name Olivia, try and sneak a peak at where Jimmy and Christine are seating and request a table near the window over in that direction or something, then from there we can listen."

"Hmm okay.. What if we can't get a table near them? And why are we using the name Olivia?" She wasn't kidding when this was the major leagues, this was turning out to be way more complicated than I expected.

"Ugh would you just relax and stop worrying! We have to use a fake name in case they hear us, our names will be a dead giveaway, plus that's my mom's name, so we'll use it for good luck. Just trust me, this will workout." I rolled my eyes yet again and followed her into the restaurant, I felt so ridiculous in my disguise. I was wearing heels that were like five inches high, a pants suit that didn't match with a black floppy hat. I felt as if we were drawing even more attention instead of just blending in. As luck would have it, we did end up getting a table near them, one actually right behind theirs to be exact. We were seated so Jimmy and I were back to back. Even just from this closeness, I could feel my cheeks heating up and turning red. I had lost my focus to what was going on until he spoke. His voice snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me to full alert.

"So, how long have you been working at Firestone?" I heard him ask Christine. God I wanted to puke.

"I've been there for three years, I got hired right after I turned sixteen."

"Oh dang, did you do any sports or anything in high school?"

"I did cross country and soccer my first two years but stopped when I tore my ACL sophomore year. So I figured why not try and get a job?"

"Oh shit I'm sorry."

"Eh don't worry about it, I was happy to be making money at such a young age, still am. So let's get down to business." _Oh god. What does that mean_? _Business_? _What the fuck kind of business_? I saw Libby's eyes widen too as she heard the conversation, we were both on edge, my thoughts were racing at a million miles an hour. Then he began to laugh and my confusion only increased, if I didn't get some answers soon I was going to kick some ass.

"Yeah thanks again for this. Cindy's been driving me crazy with her constant back and forth. She'll fricken kiss me but when I told her I liked her she freaked out." Considering I didn't tell Libby any of this, the look on her face told me she wasn't very happy, she was glaring at me and giving me a 'what the fuck?' kind of look. But what are they doing talking about me anyway? What the hell is going on here?

"Well honestly, I've known Cindy for a while now from school and work and she's never been one to be very easy to understand or get along with. She and I have had our issues in the past, but I think we get along okay. We just stay out of eachother's way. That's why I think our plan is so perfect and why I agreed to this. I'm sure this is driving her crazy seeing us together. I'm sure anyone with you would upset her, but since it's me I think it's making it worse." _Wait what? Is this a fake date_? Libby then coincidently whispered to me exactly what I was thinking.

"Cin what the fuck? Is this a fake date?"

"I have no idea, I'm still confused, but I think so."

"Why would they go on a fake date?"

"I think he's trying to make me mad or something for freaking out when he told me he liked me."

"Yeah by the way, we're going to talk about that more later." I rolled my eyes and leaned back again so I could hear their conversation better.

"Yeah that's kind of what I was picking up on and why I thought you'd be perfect for this. Can I ask why you agreed to do it if it sounds like you guys don't get along all that well?"

"Honestly, I like Cindy as a person, she's hardworking and can be nice when she wants to be. I respect her, she doesn't let anything get in her way, and honestly, I've never seen a connection like the one you two have. Watching you guys work together last week was adorable, I could see the fire between you two. I have a feeling Cindy just needs a little push in the right direction." A push in the right direction? Bitch I'll give you a push in the right direction. Libby and I continued to communicate as quietly as possible when finally our waiter arrived to take our order. We had to try and disguise our voices as much as possible so they wouldn't recognize us. I was so caught up in our spying that I momentarily forgot we were even at a restaurant, with all this going on the last thing I wanted to do was eat.

"Yeah I hope so. I'm crazy about her. She's such an enigma. I've known her for years, and while I was living in Pennsylvania, I was so worried I'd never see her again.. When my dad got a job offer back here they asked me if I would want to move back and I jumped at the chance. I remember immediately telling my two friends about it and asking about her and if she was single and I can't even begin to describe to you how elated I was when they told me she wasn't seeing anyone. I couldn't wait to come home and see her." I was trying so hard not to cry, so he really does care about me.. That explains all the nice things he did for me, the 'fake dance' in our street, the trip to New York and Australia those afternoons. He really just wanted to spend time with me and make me happy. I looked up at Libby and her jaw was on the floor. I reflexively laughed out loud and unfortunately my laugh is very unique. It is similar to a witch's cackle and easily blew our cover. I didn't even realize it until I heard Jimmy say my name.

"Cindy? Is that you?" I froze. _Oh fuck_. I didn't know what to do, I panicked and looked up to Libby for help who was buried in her purse pretending to look for something. I turned my head and looked at him and sheepishly smiled and waved.

"Uhhh hey Neutron."

"What are you doing here? And why the hell do you look like that? Is that.. Is that Libby?" She looked up too and gave a small wave.

"Hey Jim.."

"Ummmm what are you guys doing here?"

"Nothing! We're just enjoying a nice dinner is all." I answered defensively. I could tell my reaction was just making it worse but I couldn't help it.

"Oh really? Then what's up with the cheap costumes?"

"Hey! These aren't cheap costumes They're disguises!" Of course Libby would interrupt and defend our fashion choices. I rolled my eyes, I looked at Jimmy and saw that he had the most smug grin I've ever seen plastered on his face.

"Disguises huh? Miss Vortex, were you spying on me?"

"What? No of course not! What would give you that idea?"

"Cin the jig is up.. Let's just throw in the towel." I looked at Libby and agreed, feeling defeated.

"Ugh fine, yes we were spying." He wouldn't stop laughing, the more he laughed the more angry I got.

"Vortex, why were you spying on me?" He asked giving me a flirtatious look, he knew what I was doing. He's a fucking genius for Christ's sake.

"Well genius, we were spying because I wanted to know what the fuck you were doing asking her out on a date when you've been flirting with me for the past two weeks." I was floored by what he did. He had the audacity to turn back around to Christine and say, "Told ya." She giggled and I was about ready to punch both their lights out. Before I did, he spoke again and my anger subsided.

"Cin, I'm crazy about you. You should know that, especially considering you just heard me say it. I knew you would get jealous if I took another girl out to dinner when I'm clearly into you, so I did. I needed to get you angry so I could know how you felt."

"Oh whatever, you know, this isn't some game Nerdtron, okay? You can't just fucking play with my emotions like that."

"Oh? And you haven't been playing with mine?"

"Umm no!"

"What! This is insane!"

"You're insane!" By this point, we had both risen out of our seats and were standing screaming at eachother, we had gained the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant and it wasn't until someone yelled, "Just kiss her already!" that I realized what was happening. Jimmy quickly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me in and kissed me, it was incredible. He always manages to take my breath away, I knew my cheeks had to be bright red. When we pulled away I was basically gasping for air and trying to suppress a smile. I looked up at him and he was beaming down at me. He sighed, ran his hand through his hair and just kept looking at me.

"Vortex, you drive me fucking nuts, you know that? I had to ask our coworker to pretend to go on a date with me since you were being so stubborn." Suddenly it was so hard for me to stand there, I felt so uncomfortable in front of all those people, I hated all the attention, what the fuck was I supposed to do? I liked him and I knew that I liked him, but for some reason I just didn't feel comfortable blurting that out in front of a bunch of strangers who were watching us like we were some kind of Hallmark movie or something. I couldn't leave him hanging like that again though, this game had gone on long enough, we were both tired of the back and forth, so why couldn't I man up? I looked up at him again, I wanted him, I wanted to be with him and be happy, but I kept standing in my own way. Maybe if we could talk this out in private I'd be able to grow some courage.

"Um, can we maybe talk about this in private, instead of here in front of all these people?" I asked as I looked around the room, he smiled and chuckled and took my hand. I shivered at the sudden contact.

"Sure Cin, let's go. Libby, Christine, I'm sorry, do you guys mind if we head out and talk in private?" As we turned to look at them it was so hard not to laugh, they were both mid-bite and at some point during our argument Libby had moved to sit in Jimmy's old spot, it was Libby that finally spoke up.

"Oh yeah, we don't care, take your time, just bring her back home safely." I looked at Christine and she just nodded her head in agreement as she chewed her chicken parmesan.

"So why didn't you take the hover car?" I asked as he opened the door for me to his car.

"Eh, it was low on gas plus I'm thinking of making some adjustments to it so I decided to leave it at home."

"Oh okay, what adjustments?"

"Oh you know- Hey wait, don't try and change the subject. Cin, I want to know how you feel. You just let me kiss you in front of a bunch of strangers but when it comes to anything deep and serious you don't want to talk about it. I don't want to play this game anymore."

I sighed and sat there for a minute. He was right, this needs to end now.

"You're right, okay? You're right. I'm stubborn and ridiculous and insane and a whole mess of things and I'm sorry. It's just, this whole relationship thing is new to me. After you left, I didn't make much of an effort to date or anything. No one captivates me like you do, no one was worth it. But now that you're back, I can't bring myself to invest everything I have into something just to lose it again. Neutron, we're seniors and chances are that we won't be going to the same school, so what do you expect me to do? Love you for a year just to get my heart broken next summer when we have to say goodbye again? I mean, it's just a lot to take in."

"I know and I'm sorry I kind of put you on the spot like that back there, but Cin, you're all I've thought about for the last five years. I was so excited to come home and see you again, I guess I just thought things would be different."

"I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations." I said with venom clear in my voice, in case that wasn't enough of a hint for him I rolled my eyes to show I was agitated.

"Okay okay watch it nectarine, I didn't mean it like that. I guess I just hoped that you had felt the same way and that when I moved back we would kind of pick up where we left off. I should've known from that first encounter at Firestone that it wasn't going to be that easy." I let out a soft laugh as I recalled our bittersweet reunion, how his eyes took my breath away and how I ran away. I sighed and began to speak, "Jimmy, look, when you left I felt betrayed and angry for a long time. Why do you think we didn't really keep in touch? I mean, I was finally starting to really be okay, I was excited to finish high school and leave a town where no matter where I go I am surrounded by reminders of you. I was never able to forget you or move on because you were everywhere. So now that you're back, I'm just supposed to run into your arms and be happy?"

"Yes." My jaw dropped open, I couldn't believe the balls on this guy. I waited for him to continue but he didn't. He just sat there blank-faced staring at me waiting for me to respond.

"What? Are you serious? Jimmy, over the last five years you didn't make much of an effort to keep in touch or let me know how you feel, so how can you expect me to magically know you have feelings for me and then throw myself at you when none of that was apparent!"

"Well okay look, it's not that I expected some amazing welcome home hug and kiss or anything, but I didn't expect it to be like this. Everyday I've been trying to figure you out, I thought I was making myself very clear with the grand romantic gestures I kept doing, I thought we were kinda dating. Nothing was official, but you're the only one I want and I thought I conveyed that message pretty well, so when I told you straight up how I felt and you ran away AGAIN, I was very surprised and hurt. Cindy, I know I come off as cocky and arrogant and a million other things. But when it comes to you, it's all a show. I'm trembling on the inside around you, I'm nervous all the time, I'm tongue-tied when you actually call me by my first name, and I'm on cloud nine every time you kiss me. And listen, I'm not asking for your hand in marriage or anything, in fact I'm not even asking you to be my girlfriend if you don't want to be, I'm just tired of the games. I need at least a little something, something to hold on to, to reassure me that this isn't all a big waste of time." I sat there listening to him taking it all in. This was the most honest and sincere I've ever seen him, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. I needed to get my thoughts and feelings straight before that though. I mean, did I want to be his girlfriend? Am I ready for that?

"Jimmy, I'm sorry. I know things have been crazy and confusing, it's just that these last few years have been a never ending roller coaster for me. I'm not ready for a full-on relationship, but I'm tired of the games too. I like you a lot, and I'd like to start making progress toward some sort of relationship. I like what we had going because I didn't feel the need to be perfect all the time or any pressure from our friends or anyone, and I'd like it to stay that way. But, I do enjoy the kissing and the fun flirting too.. Just saying..." I trailed off and sat there awaiting his response. He looked pensive, yet very content, I was wary of telling him so much about me but I figured it was time to be more honest and open if I ever wanted to actually get anywhere with this. I surprisingly felt pretty good, I was happy and proud of myself for spilling my emotions like that and based on the look on his face, he was receiving them well. He grabbed my hand and smiled, "Cin, that's perfect. We can just take it slow and maybe keep it a secret for a while if you want? It is getting late though, would you like me to take you home?" I nodded yes and kissed his cheek, and with that he started the car and we drove off.

As we approached my house, he got out of the car with me, walked me to the door and gave me a kiss goodnight.

"Night Cin, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked as we pulled away.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, night Jimmy, we're closing at work don't forget!"

"Ahh yes, thank you for reminding me, in that case I'm looking forward to it." He winked at me, gave my hand one last squeeze and turned to back towards his house. I shut the door and went upstairs to take a bath and go to bed.

I fell asleep that night perfectly content and very proud. This was indeed going to be a very interesting school year.

A/N: There's the next chapter! For a long time I hesitated on posting it, I kept re-reading it and changing certain things and even still I'm not 100% sure. Let me know what you guys think though! The story doesn't end here by the way, there's more to come!

Also, check out my page, I uploaded a new story a few days ago called Thankful, it's of course a JN fanfic, I've got some other new stuff brewing too which I'll upload soon. Thank you all for all your reviews and comments! They're awesome :)


	13. Chapter 13

Bittersweet Ch 13:

Off to Neverland

A/N: Here's the next chapter! This one takes place a few months after the last chapter. The last chapter was at about the end of August, this will be at the end of October! Hope you guys enjoy!

"Libs Halloween is a week away and I still don't know what my costume is going to be." We were walking around the fifth Halloween store we had been to and I still haven't found anything that I liked.

"Girl relax, we'll figure something out, do you want to go with a little sexy twist for the party or keep it pretty conservative like you usually do?"

"What? I don't keep it conservative, I'm not some prude!"

"I didn't say you were, you just usually don't like to show too much skin or anything."

I guess she had a point, I've never been one to dress very provocatively, but now that things between Jimmy and I are escalating a little bit I kind of want to show a little bit more skin. Not even because I want to impress him, but because he makes me feel confident and beautiful and I feel the best I've ever felt. In the past few years, I've always been confident in who I am, but just like everyone else I have my insecurities. He washes those away and makes me feel like I'm glowing. Ever since that faithful day outside Pesto Palace, we've been keeping things pretty low key. We spend time together down in the lab or go for walks around the neighborhood. Libby has been pretty suspicious but I've told her that when something happens and I'm ready to talk about it then I'll tell her and she respects that. Other than that, tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum are too dense to even notice. I like it this way though, just me and him. There's no drama or pressure, we can just be us.

"Hey Libs, what about this? I think you'd look great in this!" I said as I held up yet another costume to her. She found several that she liked, she just had trouble deciding which one to go with. The costume I held up to her was something similar to what Beautiful Gorgeous used to wear, it was labeled 'Charlie's Angel'. It was a black leather body hugging suit with a waist strap that had a walkie talkie and a fake gun in a holster. Libby has an amazing figure, in fact I've always been a little jealous because she's become so curvy while I'm not. I have the body of a Popsicle stick while she's basically Jennifer Lopez. This is why I knew this costume would be perfect for her, it would accentuate her curves and make her look great. The look on her face when I held it up said it all, her eyes widened and her smile went from ear to ear.

"Oh my gosh Cin! That's perfect! Quick lemme go try it on!" She excitedly grabbed it out my hand and ran into the dressing room. A few minutes later she opened the door and pretended that she was walking a runway and began doing these ridiculous model poses. I laughed at her dramatic display and clapped and whistled for her. She bowed and sat next to me on the bench. She sighed, put her hand on my shoulder, which was always an indication that she would begin lecturing me on how 'blatantly obvious it is that I'm in love with Jimmy'. Little did she know..

"Cin, we really do need to find a good costume for you. I have a really good feeling that Halloween is going to be the night you and Jimmy finally get together."

I sighed and tried to collect my thoughts. I really did want to tell her, but the timing didn't feel right, I just wasn't ready yet.

"Libby, if I had a dollar for every time you said that, I could buy the entire mall. Neutron and I just don't work. He's cool and in these last few months that he's been back we've gotten along.. For the most part.. I just, I don't think there's any feelings there between us." It was a lie, and we both knew it.

"Okay I'm just gonna ignore that, obviously you know the electricity is there between you two, you're geniuses for Christ's sake. However, I don't have all damn day to lecture you about it, so I'm gonna go take this off then we are going to find you the most smoking hot costume ever. Jimmy is going to be drooling when he sees you."

"Libs, I probably won't find anything, besides, who knows if I'll even go to the party anyway?"

"Ummmmm no. You're going and that's final." She gave me a stern look and I knew better than to test her, when she wants something, she gets it. I guess over the years I've taught her well.

As we walked into the umpteenth store, Libby claimed to have found 'the one'. Being that this was the fifth time she had said this over the course of the last few hours, I didn't pay much attention. To humor her though, I looked in her direction and for once, she was right. It was the one. Judging by the face I made when she saw it, she knew I agreed.

"See Cin! I told you! Isn't it perfect? The color is going to look so great on your skin and with your blonde hair it's basically a match made in heaven! I'm so excited! Here try it on!" She hastily threw it in my hand and shoved me into the dressing room. Once I had it on, I fell in love with it even more. I had to admit, I looked really nice. It was a short, tight green dress with optional white wings and an instruction card on how to put the wings on. It was a Tinkerbell costume, but a much more mature version. As I walked out of the dressing room, I put on the same dramatic display for Libby as she did for me and she loved it. She pretended to be some obnoxious paparazzi and began pretending to take pictures of me at every angle imaginable.

"So you like it?" I asked as I laughed and twirled in a circle.

"Oh girl, this is definitely the one. You look amazing! I can't wait for Jimmy to see!"

"Libby! For the last time there's nothing going on between me and Neutron! Now help me get out of this thing so we can check out and go home." I said as I turned around so she could help pull down the zipper.

As we drove home, I got a text from Jimmy asking if I wanted to come over for dinner. I involuntarily smiled down at my phone and Libby's nosy self noticed immediately.

"Soooo uh, what are you smiling at? Someone important texting you?" She asked as she gave me a smug grin.

"No. My mom just texted me telling me she made my favorite dinner tonight, that's all."

"Mhmmmm. There's something going on between you and Neutron and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

I smiled and rolled my eyes as we pulled up to my driveway, I thanked her for the ride and hopped out of the car and waved to her as she drove home. Once I could see that she was out of sight, I made my way across the street to the lab. Ever since we started 'dating', he gave me full access to the lab. I let myself in and found him on the couch watching tv. He didn't hear me come in so I snuck behind him and put my hands over his eyes and whispered, "guess who" into his ears. He moaned and grabbed my hands and pulled them forward so I was leaning over the back of the couch and we locked eyes.

"I've missed you V," he said as he kissed me. His kisses put me on such a high. He was incredibly seductive and he knew it too. I deepened the kiss and felt his tongue against mine. It was a constant back and forth of who would win control, I usually let him win and tackle me, but not this time. I pulled away and he frowned, I giggled at his reaction.

"I want to show you something!" I squealed as I walked back over to the table where I left my costume.

"Oh did you finally pick out a costume? Go try it on for me." He eyed me suggestively, I did as I was told and grabbed the bag and flung it over my shoulder as I walked toward the bedroom part of the lab, swinging my hips with every step. As I walked out a few minutes later, I found him at the table eating a bowl of cereal, as he saw me he dropped his spoon. I giggled at his reaction, I didn't expect a reaction that big, but it made me feel good nonetheless.

"So do you like it?" I asked as he sat there staring at me. Ignoring my question, he got up and walked over to me, his eyes locked with mine. He grabbed my hips and pulled me in close, I drew in a sharp breath and relished in the feeling of his body so close to mine.

"Cin, you look incredible. Your legs are so sexy, and don't get me started on these." He finished his sentence and bent down to kiss each one of my breasts. I blushed and swatted him away playfully.

"I'm glad you think so, now do you want to help me take it off?" I suggestively whispered in his ear. I had barely finished talking when he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder and carried me to his room, it was times like these that I was so thankful he had a room down here in the lab and not upstairs in his house.

He threw me down on the bed and started trailing kisses up my body starting at my inner thighs and ending at my neck. Every inch of my skin felt like it was on fire, my toes curled and my head went back as he bit down on my earlobe.

"Jimmy-" I whispered as he teased me further.

"Shhhh Cin, relax. I don't want you tearing or ruining this amazing costume." He grabbed me and pulled up into his lap so I sat straddling, facing him. He unzipped my dress and slid it down my breasts exposing the skin. I inhaled sharply once more as his kisses trailed down to my nipples. He spent time giving each of them attention, making me moan softly against his neck. He laid me back down and slid my dress, along with my thong, off onto the floor. He ran his hands up and down my body, never settling in one place too long. I grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, he sat up enough for me to get it off and then laid back down on top of me and resumed his wonderful, tortuous game. After a minute or so, he stopped and stood up and undid his belt and jeans and slid them off. I melted at the sight of him. He grabbed a condom from the drawer and slid it on before climbing back onto the bed on top of me. He slid one finger inside me and teased me further while his mouth found its way down to my nipple again, taking turns between my left and right. I was panting at this point and on the verge of begging when I felt him slide into me. The fantastic pressure of feeling every inch of him inside me was almost enough for me to become undone. My fingernails clawed at his back and he moaned in my ear as we found our rhythm. After a few minutes, he got off me and flipped onto his back and motioned for me to get on top of him, I smiled a devilish smile as I climbed on top and slid down onto him. I immediately moaned and he grabbed me and pulled me down so my chest was on top of his. His arms snaked around my body and he held me close kissing my neck. As our bodies moved in sync, I could feel my climax building up and up until I reached my breaking point and found my sweet release. I screamed his name and he pulled my hair back and bit my lip. As I laid there catching my breath for a moment, he grabbed me and in one swift motion, flipped us over so he was once again on top of me and in control. I was practically panting as he began moving inside me once more. He soon found his release and yelled my name as he held me close. We laid there for the better part of an hour in his bed with my head resting on his bare chest. I was about to doze off when I heard his stomach grumble, I giggled and soon my stomach grumbled as well.

"Hungry Miss Vortex?"

"Depends, what's on the menu?"

"Well you've just had the main course, but I'd love to offer you some chicken piccata or ahi tacos. Straight from Firestone itself, courtesy of everyone's favorite waiter, James Neutron." He said as he bowed.

Firestone was known for its big, extensive menu, they had everything from spaghetti and meatballs to cinnamon roll French toast. Ahi tacos and chicken piccata are some of mine and Jimmy's favorite dishes.

"Hmmmm, I'll take the piccata.. Although I may want a bite of one your tacos.." I said as he bent down and kissed my forehead.

"Well in that case, I get a bite of the parmesan pasta from your piccata."

"Deal," I said as we shook hands. I laughed and he went over to his small kitchen area and began heating up the food. As he came back and climbed into bed with two warm plates of food, we turned on Hulu and began watching Brooklyn 99. As the opening scene came on, I cuddled up next to him and kissed his shoulder.

"So how was your day?" He asked me as he reached over and took a bite of my pasta.

"It was fun, Libby kept hounding me about us though and saying how Halloween is the night where we'll finally get together." I rolled my eyes and smiled and then proceeded to take a bite of one of his tacos. He laughed at my comment about Libby.

"Oh man, she's something else, that's really funny."

"So, what are you gonna be for Halloween? I don't know if we've talked about it yet."

"Yeah I'm not sure, who knows maybe I'll go as Peter Pan? We can match."

"Oh god you in tights? PLEASE! That would be the greatest thing I've ever seen!"

"Tights? What the heck? Peter Pan does not wear tights."

"Ummm.. Yes he does, look it up Neutron." So he did and sure enough I was right, like always. As we finished another episode of Brooklyn 99 and finished our food, I started getting tired and got out of bed to put on my clothes.

"You're gonna go home? But Cin, it's not like we have school tomorrow, it's Friday, you can stay over ya know."

"Eh, not after last time when your mom almost came in here and saw us."

"Yeah but I've amped up the security and turned up the volume on the alarm so I'll know if anything happens. Please Cin, I love when you stay over." He came over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I couldn't help it, I was puddy in his hands and conceded.

"Oh alright, but you're making breakfast then."

"Miss Vortex, you've got yourself a deal."

I laid back down in bed with him and relaxed in his embrace. I always slept better in his arms. I dreamt that night of Jimmy and how much he loved my costume. His reaction was priceless.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little more intense (for a lack of a better word) than the others. Review and let me know what you guys think! Thank you for all your kind words! By the way, anyone else watch Brooklyn 99? It's my favorite show right now, it's so funny! If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you watch it!

By the way, I'm writing another chapter to my story Thankful that will be uploaded soon!


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